A B737-300 flight is called back into the gate to repair a previously MEL'ed item that had been carr...

Attributes
ACN	513617
Time
Date	200106
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx.airport
State Reference	AZ
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 182 flight time total : 20700 flight time type : 10650
ASRS Report	513617
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 8000
ASRS Report	513619
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : maint 4
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : briefing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
Publication	MEL

Narrative:

Picked up aircraft flight XXX (approximately XA00 local) jun/mon/01, in aus, through flight. Release had 2 MEL's listed: #33-xx-system annunciator light, flight controls, captain side, overhead ok. #33-xx-system annunciator light, doors, first officer side, overhead ok. Reviewed MEL attachment and aircraft log which revealed the following history: items had been written up, deferred and tracking numbers issued in bwi. Aircraft then flew to aus (crew change) aus-bwi-buf-bwi (aircraft overnight) service check performed and new airworthiness release issued. Later aircraft flew bwi-stl-dtw-bna-mco (crew change) mco-aus (crew change) aus-phx. After pushback in phx, someone in maintenance decided the MEL had not been interpreted correctly and only one 33-xx item was allowable. Returned to gate per dispatch. Maintenance fixed the first officer's system annunciator (doors), new dispatch release issued with just one 33-xx item (system annunciator light, flight control, captain's side, overhead ok) and flight XXX proceeded to lax. Jun/thu/01, aircraft flew 10 legs with 5 flight crew's, was released by 11 dispatchers and received an airworthiness release with both items deferred. MEL wording if somewhat vague, uses the words 'system annunciator lights, left and right...' the wording definitely could be interpreted to mean one system one left and one system on right annunciator, as 22+ people did. If the intent of MEL 33-xx is only one (total) system inoperative allowable, then more precise wording is required. Supplemental information from acn 513619: flew as PNF to phx. Arrived in gate normally and commenced standard turn. Upon taxi out to runway 25L company dispatch called to return to gate at XB15 local. Returned to gate, met by maintenance to perform maintenance on first officer's recall master caution system. Departed phx for lax. Arrived normally, met by maintenance in lax repaired captain's recall master caution system. Departed normal with all system operating.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 FLT IS CALLED BACK INTO THE GATE TO REPAIR A PREVIOUSLY MEL'ED ITEM THAT HAD BEEN CARRIED FOR 10 LEGS, 5 CREWS AND HAD BEEN RELEASED BY 11 DISPATCHERS, PHX, AZ.

Narrative: PICKED UP ACFT FLT XXX (APPROX XA00 LCL) JUN/MON/01, IN AUS, THROUGH FLT. RELEASE HAD 2 MEL'S LISTED: #33-XX-SYS ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT, FLT CTLS, CAPT SIDE, OVERHEAD OK. #33-XX-SYS ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT, DOORS, FO SIDE, OVERHEAD OK. REVIEWED MEL ATTACHMENT AND ACFT LOG WHICH REVEALED THE FOLLOWING HISTORY: ITEMS HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP, DEFERRED AND TRACKING NUMBERS ISSUED IN BWI. ACFT THEN FLEW TO AUS (CREW CHANGE) AUS-BWI-BUF-BWI (ACFT OVERNIGHT) SVC CHK PERFORMED AND NEW AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE ISSUED. LATER ACFT FLEW BWI-STL-DTW-BNA-MCO (CREW CHANGE) MCO-AUS (CREW CHANGE) AUS-PHX. AFTER PUSHBACK IN PHX, SOMEONE IN MAINT DECIDED THE MEL HAD NOT BEEN INTERPRETED CORRECTLY AND ONLY ONE 33-XX ITEM WAS ALLOWABLE. RETURNED TO GATE PER DISPATCH. MAINT FIXED THE FO'S SYS ANNUNCIATOR (DOORS), NEW DISPATCH RELEASE ISSUED WITH JUST ONE 33-XX ITEM (SYS ANNUNCIATOR LIGHT, FLT CTL, CAPT'S SIDE, OVERHEAD OK) AND FLT XXX PROCEEDED TO LAX. JUN/THU/01, ACFT FLEW 10 LEGS WITH 5 FLC'S, WAS RELEASED BY 11 DISPATCHERS AND RECEIVED AN AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE WITH BOTH ITEMS DEFERRED. MEL WORDING IF SOMEWHAT VAGUE, USES THE WORDS 'SYS ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS, L AND R...' THE WORDING DEFINITELY COULD BE INTERPRETED TO MEAN ONE SYS ONE L AND ONE SYS ON R ANNUNCIATOR, AS 22+ PEOPLE DID. IF THE INTENT OF MEL 33-XX IS ONLY ONE (TOTAL) SYS INOP ALLOWABLE, THEN MORE PRECISE WORDING IS REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 513619: FLEW AS PNF TO PHX. ARRIVED IN GATE NORMALLY AND COMMENCED STANDARD TURN. UPON TAXI OUT TO RWY 25L COMPANY DISPATCH CALLED TO RETURN TO GATE AT XB15 LCL. RETURNED TO GATE, MET BY MAINT TO PERFORM MAINT ON FO'S RECALL MASTER CAUTION SYS. DEPARTED PHX FOR LAX. ARRIVED NORMALLY, MET BY MAINT IN LAX REPAIRED CAPT'S RECALL MASTER CAUTION SYS. DEPARTED NORMAL WITH ALL SYS OPERATING.

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 B737-300 flight is called back into the gate to repair a previously MEL'ed item that had been carried for 10 legs, 5 crews and had been released by 11 dispatchers, phx, az.