Narrative:

I came on duty XA00 and took over desk. When I got to the release for flight abd ccs-mia I noticed the TCASII was on placard. I pulled the file for flight abc mia-ccs and saw that the aircraft was dispatched to ccs with the TCASII on placard. According to the MEL we can't dispatch to south america with this placard. Even though ccs is on the caribbean desk it is considered south america for MEL purposes. At that point the flight was only about 30 mins from landing ccs so I took no action to land en route. I was legal to let this aircraft to return to the united states with this placard according to the MEL. On the return flight I received an ACARS message that the FAA was onboard and in the cockpit and had seen the MEL. I informed the captain that we were legal to return to the united states and that the problem was on the sbound leg. The cockpit crew and the dispatcher that released the flight both missed this MEL. Supplemental information from acn 484139: TCASII tested properly and seemed to be working normally even though it was placarded inoperative. Since dispatch knew about it I assumed ccs was considered caribbean. The FAA had some questions about the write-up. Supplemental information from acn 484389: flight abc mia-ccs TCASII placarded on aug/thu/00 per 34-37D. No go item for latin america, but ok for caribbean. Information provided in FM part 1, MEL, caribbean commercial guide, latin america reference does not clearly define ccs, maiquetia, as caribbean or latin america. Latin america reference implies maiquetia is part of caribbean. Since dispatch released flight to ccs it was considered to be a legal destination with TCASII placarded. Maintenance did not follow MEL procedures to pull, collar, circuit breaker. FAA inspector on return flight abd ccs-mia questioned legality of operation of previous segment with MEL 34-37D. Information issued to flight engineer should define difference between caribbean and latin america divisions. Flight engineer guidance in operations manual for circuit breaker check should include check of collared circuit breaker as well as the check for the tripped circuit breaker.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR DISPATCHER DISCOVERS A PREVIOUSLY DISPATCHED FLT WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE TO CARIBBEAN DEST. IT REQUIRED LATIN AMERICAN RULES WITH AN INOP TCASII. RETURN FLT WAS LEGAL, BUT AN ONBOARD FAA INSPECTOR DISCOVERS THE PAPERWORK IN THE LOG AND QUESTIONS THE PREVIOUS DISPATCH.

Narrative: I CAME ON DUTY XA00 AND TOOK OVER DESK. WHEN I GOT TO THE RELEASE FOR FLT ABD CCS-MIA I NOTICED THE TCASII WAS ON PLACARD. I PULLED THE FILE FOR FLT ABC MIA-CCS AND SAW THAT THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED TO CCS WITH THE TCASII ON PLACARD. ACCORDING TO THE MEL WE CAN'T DISPATCH TO SOUTH AMERICA WITH THIS PLACARD. EVEN THOUGH CCS IS ON THE CARIBBEAN DESK IT IS CONSIDERED SOUTH AMERICA FOR MEL PURPOSES. AT THAT POINT THE FLT WAS ONLY ABOUT 30 MINS FROM LNDG CCS SO I TOOK NO ACTION TO LAND ENRTE. I WAS LEGAL TO LET THIS ACFT TO RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES WITH THIS PLACARD ACCORDING TO THE MEL. ON THE RETURN FLT I RECEIVED AN ACARS MESSAGE THAT THE FAA WAS ONBOARD AND IN THE COCKPIT AND HAD SEEN THE MEL. I INFORMED THE CAPT THAT WE WERE LEGAL TO RETURN TO THE UNITED STATES AND THAT THE PROB WAS ON THE SBOUND LEG. THE COCKPIT CREW AND THE DISPATCHER THAT RELEASED THE FLT BOTH MISSED THIS MEL. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 484139: TCASII TESTED PROPERLY AND SEEMED TO BE WORKING NORMALLY EVEN THOUGH IT WAS PLACARDED INOP. SINCE DISPATCH KNEW ABOUT IT I ASSUMED CCS WAS CONSIDERED CARIBBEAN. THE FAA HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WRITE-UP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 484389: FLT ABC MIA-CCS TCASII PLACARDED ON AUG/THU/00 PER 34-37D. NO GO ITEM FOR LATIN AMERICA, BUT OK FOR CARIBBEAN. INFO PROVIDED IN FM PART 1, MEL, CARIBBEAN COMMERCIAL GUIDE, LATIN AMERICA REF DOES NOT CLRLY DEFINE CCS, MAIQUETIA, AS CARIBBEAN OR LATIN AMERICA. LATIN AMERICA REF IMPLIES MAIQUETIA IS PART OF CARIBBEAN. SINCE DISPATCH RELEASED FLT TO CCS IT WAS CONSIDERED TO BE A LEGAL DEST WITH TCASII PLACARDED. MAINT DID NOT FOLLOW MEL PROCS TO PULL, COLLAR, CIRCUIT BREAKER. FAA INSPECTOR ON RETURN FLT ABD CCS-MIA QUESTIONED LEGALITY OF OP OF PREVIOUS SEGMENT WITH MEL 34-37D. INFO ISSUED TO FE SHOULD DEFINE DIFFERENCE BTWN CARIBBEAN AND LATIN AMERICA DIVISIONS. FE GUIDANCE IN OPS MANUAL FOR CIRCUIT BREAKER CHK SHOULD INCLUDE CHK OF COLLARED CIRCUIT BREAKER AS WELL AS THE CHK FOR THE TRIPPED CIRCUIT BREAKER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.