B737 crew had dispatch release that did not reflect a deferred item.

Attributes
ACN	489760
Time
Date	200010
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 400
ASRS Report	489760
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	489946
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other controllera other other : 5
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

Prior to departure flight attendant noticed 2 life vests were missing. Captain called dispatch and spoke to dispatcher for the flight. She xferred him to maintenance control. A logbook entry was made and maintenance control sent via facsimile the necessary MEL information for the logbook. The flight operated normally with the MEL. The flight was smf-iah. Upon arrival in iah the captain was informed to contact dispatch regarding the dispatch of the flight. The dispatcher said we should have had a re-release noting the MEL. The MEL only indicates that dispatch be notified which they were with the original call.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW HAD DISPATCH RELEASE THAT DID NOT REFLECT A DEFERRED ITEM.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP FLT ATTENDANT NOTICED 2 LIFE VESTS WERE MISSING. CAPT CALLED DISPATCH AND SPOKE TO DISPATCHER FOR THE FLT. SHE XFERRED HIM TO MAINT CTL. A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND MAINT CTL SENT VIA FAX THE NECESSARY MEL INFO FOR THE LOGBOOK. THE FLT OPERATED NORMALLY WITH THE MEL. THE FLT WAS SMF-IAH. UPON ARR IN IAH THE CAPT WAS INFORMED TO CONTACT DISPATCH REGARDING THE DISPATCH OF THE FLT. THE DISPATCHER SAID WE SHOULD HAVE HAD A RE-RELEASE NOTING THE MEL. THE MEL ONLY INDICATES THAT DISPATCH BE NOTIFIED WHICH THEY WERE WITH THE ORIGINAL CALL.

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.