DH8B crew had an improperly deferred MEL item.

Attributes
ACN	498770
Time
Date	200012
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Dash 8-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 9500
ASRS Report	498770
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance
Independent Detector	other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Company

Narrative:

We had to wait right up until departure time to receive our flight release. The gate agent told us that the computers were down. I went inside to see about copying a flight release over the telephone and found out that our dispatcher was waiting for maintenance to extend an MEL item and that a release would follow soon. We received a release showing a GPWS item to expire at the end of the day. After arriving at destination, we found out aircraft was to ferry back to maintenance base due to maintenance control extending a category 'a' item which cannot be extended. We unknowingly flew an aircraft with an expired MEL, even though it showed ok on our release. (Our releases show item, plus expiration date.) of course, we both retained copies of this release for our own records. If I had asked for more information, this might have been avoided, but I left everything up to our dispatcher and maintenance control because they seemed to have everything under control. Little did we know!

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DH8B CREW HAD AN IMPROPERLY DEFERRED MEL ITEM.

Narrative: WE HAD TO WAIT RIGHT UP UNTIL DEP TIME TO RECEIVE OUR FLT RELEASE. THE GATE AGENT TOLD US THAT THE COMPUTERS WERE DOWN. I WENT INSIDE TO SEE ABOUT COPYING A FLT RELEASE OVER THE TELEPHONE AND FOUND OUT THAT OUR DISPATCHER WAS WAITING FOR MAINT TO EXTEND AN MEL ITEM AND THAT A RELEASE WOULD FOLLOW SOON. WE RECEIVED A RELEASE SHOWING A GPWS ITEM TO EXPIRE AT THE END OF THE DAY. AFTER ARRIVING AT DEST, WE FOUND OUT ACFT WAS TO FERRY BACK TO MAINT BASE DUE TO MAINT CTL EXTENDING A CATEGORY 'A' ITEM WHICH CANNOT BE EXTENDED. WE UNKNOWINGLY FLEW AN ACFT WITH AN EXPIRED MEL, EVEN THOUGH IT SHOWED OK ON OUR RELEASE. (OUR RELEASES SHOW ITEM, PLUS EXPIRATION DATE.) OF COURSE, WE BOTH RETAINED COPIES OF THIS RELEASE FOR OUR OWN RECORDS. IF I HAD ASKED FOR MORE INFO, THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN AVOIDED, BUT I LEFT EVERYTHING UP TO OUR DISPATCHER AND MAINT CTL BECAUSE THEY SEEMED TO HAVE EVERYTHING UNDER CTL. LITTLE DID WE KNOW!

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.