An embraer 145 was dispatched in non compliance with an open logbook report unanswered or deferred.

Attributes
ACN	485200
Time
Date	200009
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dfw.airport
State Reference	TX
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 260 flight time total : 14700 flight time type : 450
ASRS Report	485200
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On sep/xa/00 at XA40, air carrier aircraft xyz flight yyx from dfw to hou departed dfw with an open MEL in the log. The write-up was for the first officer's sunscreen missing so there was no problem with conducting a safe flight. The problem was that the previous crew had deferred the sunscreen and had not used the proper yellow crew placard inoperative stickers (because there weren't any in the aircraft), but had used the maintenance stickers giving the appearance that it had been signed off by maintenance. With so many MEL's on the aircraft, I missed that it had not been signed off properly by maintenance. When I picked up the aircraft several hours later, the flight release showed the sunscreen as MEL indicating that it was known by all and done. I failed to catch in the log that maintenance had in fact done nothing in the logbook. I flew the aircraft in violation of far part 121.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 145 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN OPEN LOGBOOK RPT UNANSWERED OR DEFERRED.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/00 AT XA40, ACR ACFT XYZ FLT YYX FROM DFW TO HOU DEPARTED DFW WITH AN OPEN MEL IN THE LOG. THE WRITE-UP WAS FOR THE FO'S SUNSCREEN MISSING SO THERE WAS NO PROB WITH CONDUCTING A SAFE FLT. THE PROB WAS THAT THE PREVIOUS CREW HAD DEFERRED THE SUNSCREEN AND HAD NOT USED THE PROPER YELLOW CREW PLACARD INOP STICKERS (BECAUSE THERE WEREN'T ANY IN THE ACFT), BUT HAD USED THE MAINT STICKERS GIVING THE APPEARANCE THAT IT HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF BY MAINT. WITH SO MANY MEL'S ON THE ACFT, I MISSED THAT IT HAD NOT BEEN SIGNED OFF PROPERLY BY MAINT. WHEN I PICKED UP THE ACFT SEVERAL HRS LATER, THE FLT RELEASE SHOWED THE SUNSCREEN AS MEL INDICATING THAT IT WAS KNOWN BY ALL AND DONE. I FAILED TO CATCH IN THE LOG THAT MAINT HAD IN FACT DONE NOTHING IN THE LOGBOOK. I FLEW THE ACFT IN VIOLATION OF FAR PART 121.

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.