A B727-200 with a deferred radio altimeter was removed from service due to conflict between the fom ...

Attributes
ACN	503070
Time
Date	200102
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	503070
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication FAA Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Situations
Publication	Manual Conflict

Narrative:

Inbound flight write-up for erratic radio altimeter caused mechanics to disable GPWS, radio altimeter, CAT ii ability and TCASII. Was approached by mechanic who asked me to contact dispatch to agree to taking plane to yvr. WX was good and crew agreeable. As mechanics were collaring circuit breakers, etc, so saw 'maintenance release document' release narrative stating aircraft not to be dispatched to a foreign state. Contacted wxxx at dispatch and she discussed further with manager and international dispatcher and we decided that even though canada/alaska regions chapter of fom says for far applicability and fuel reserves, yvr is domestic operation, it is still a foreign state. We received another aircraft would like any input available. It appears to be legal to go to canada without TCASII if you only read the fom, but the maintenance release document seemed very clear that dispatch to a foreign state is illegal. The domestic dispatch manager felt that it was legal to go (citing fom), but I felt that if it is legal, the maintenance release document should state canada is legal, not as currently printed. Wxxx and another international dispatcher agreed it was not legal to take the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WITH A DEFERRED RADIO ALTIMETER WAS REMOVED FROM SVC DUE TO CONFLICT BTWN THE FOM AND THE MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT ON LEGALITY OF FOREIGN OP WITH THE DEFERRED ITEM.

Narrative: INBOUND FLT WRITE-UP FOR ERRATIC RADIO ALTIMETER CAUSED MECHS TO DISABLE GPWS, RADIO ALTIMETER, CAT II ABILITY AND TCASII. WAS APCHED BY MECH WHO ASKED ME TO CONTACT DISPATCH TO AGREE TO TAKING PLANE TO YVR. WX WAS GOOD AND CREW AGREEABLE. AS MECHS WERE COLLARING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, ETC, SO SAW 'MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT' RELEASE NARRATIVE STATING ACFT NOT TO BE DISPATCHED TO A FOREIGN STATE. CONTACTED WXXX AT DISPATCH AND SHE DISCUSSED FURTHER WITH MGR AND INTL DISPATCHER AND WE DECIDED THAT EVEN THOUGH CANADA/ALASKA REGIONS CHAPTER OF FOM SAYS FOR FAR APPLICABILITY AND FUEL RESERVES, YVR IS DOMESTIC OP, IT IS STILL A FOREIGN STATE. WE RECEIVED ANOTHER ACFT WOULD LIKE ANY INPUT AVAILABLE. IT APPEARS TO BE LEGAL TO GO TO CANADA WITHOUT TCASII IF YOU ONLY READ THE FOM, BUT THE MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT SEEMED VERY CLR THAT DISPATCH TO A FOREIGN STATE IS ILLEGAL. THE DOMESTIC DISPATCH MGR FELT THAT IT WAS LEGAL TO GO (CITING FOM), BUT I FELT THAT IF IT IS LEGAL, THE MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT SHOULD STATE CANADA IS LEGAL, NOT AS CURRENTLY PRINTED. WXXX AND ANOTHER INTL DISPATCHER AGREED IT WAS NOT LEGAL TO TAKE THE ACFT.

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.

A B727-200 with a deferred radio altimeter was removed from service due to conflict between the fom and the maintenance release document on legality of foreign operation with the deferred item.