Narrative:

After pushback and engine start, the captain noticed that the upper rudder control position indicator stuck full right during the control check. He had the ground crew verify proper rudder movement and got the ground crew's employee number for the aircraft and logbook entry. He then acarsed dispatch to add the MEL item to our dispatch release. We got an ACARS message back from our dispatcher in japan that acknowledged adding the MEL item and said 'no further paperwork required.' we, therefore, completed the logbook entries concerning the cpi MEL item and applied the appropriate MEL placards using the ground crew's employee number. After takeoff, we discovered through further ACARS messages and the company operating manual that the MEL/maintenance release had not been accomplished correctly. For the flight crew to 'sign off' an MEL item after pushback, the duty maintenance controller must authority/authorized/direct the action and he had not even been advised. We had assumed that since ACARS had generated an out time, that dispatch would know we'd pushed back already and would coordinate the MEL item with maintenance control for us. His ACARS message including the phrase 'no further paperwork required' led us to believe we were good to go, and that he had coordinated with maintenance control. In actuality, that coordination did not occur. Our main united states operations center has maintenance controllers right there, so coordination is easy, but we found out that the japan dispatchers must contact maintenance control back in the united states. While we were sure we did nothing unsafe, since we followed the required checks in the MEL, we did not 'DOT all the I's and cross all the T's' of the logbook paperwork properly. I'll remember this for future maintenance problems after pushback and will ensure operations manual procedures are complied with and ensure any ACARS messages are sent to both dispatch and maintenance control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747 FREIGHTER CREW IS CONCERNED OVER THE LACK OF COORD BTWN THEIR OVERSEAS DISPATCH OFFICE AND THEIR MAINT CTLR SUPVR ON THE MAINLAND WHEN DEP WITH A CREW MEL'ED ITEM AT WSSS, FO.

Narrative: AFTER PUSHBACK AND ENG START, THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THE UPPER RUDDER CTL POS INDICATOR STUCK FULL R DURING THE CTL CHK. HE HAD THE GND CREW VERIFY PROPER RUDDER MOVEMENT AND GOT THE GND CREW'S EMPLOYEE NUMBER FOR THE ACFT AND LOGBOOK ENTRY. HE THEN ACARSED DISPATCH TO ADD THE MEL ITEM TO OUR DISPATCH RELEASE. WE GOT AN ACARS MESSAGE BACK FROM OUR DISPATCHER IN JAPAN THAT ACKNOWLEDGED ADDING THE MEL ITEM AND SAID 'NO FURTHER PAPERWORK REQUIRED.' WE, THEREFORE, COMPLETED THE LOGBOOK ENTRIES CONCERNING THE CPI MEL ITEM AND APPLIED THE APPROPRIATE MEL PLACARDS USING THE GND CREW'S EMPLOYEE NUMBER. AFTER TKOF, WE DISCOVERED THROUGH FURTHER ACARS MESSAGES AND THE COMPANY OPERATING MANUAL THAT THE MEL/MAINT RELEASE HAD NOT BEEN ACCOMPLISHED CORRECTLY. FOR THE FLC TO 'SIGN OFF' AN MEL ITEM AFTER PUSHBACK, THE DUTY MAINT CTLR MUST AUTH/DIRECT THE ACTION AND HE HAD NOT EVEN BEEN ADVISED. WE HAD ASSUMED THAT SINCE ACARS HAD GENERATED AN OUT TIME, THAT DISPATCH WOULD KNOW WE'D PUSHED BACK ALREADY AND WOULD COORDINATE THE MEL ITEM WITH MAINT CTL FOR US. HIS ACARS MESSAGE INCLUDING THE PHRASE 'NO FURTHER PAPERWORK REQUIRED' LED US TO BELIEVE WE WERE GOOD TO GO, AND THAT HE HAD COORDINATED WITH MAINT CTL. IN ACTUALITY, THAT COORD DID NOT OCCUR. OUR MAIN UNITED STATES OPS CTR HAS MAINT CTLRS RIGHT THERE, SO COORD IS EASY, BUT WE FOUND OUT THAT THE JAPAN DISPATCHERS MUST CONTACT MAINT CTL BACK IN THE UNITED STATES. WHILE WE WERE SURE WE DID NOTHING UNSAFE, SINCE WE FOLLOWED THE REQUIRED CHKS IN THE MEL, WE DID NOT 'DOT ALL THE I'S AND CROSS ALL THE T'S' OF THE LOGBOOK PAPERWORK PROPERLY. I'LL REMEMBER THIS FOR FUTURE MAINT PROBS AFTER PUSHBACK AND WILL ENSURE OPS MANUAL PROCS ARE COMPLIED WITH AND ENSURE ANY ACARS MESSAGES ARE SENT TO BOTH DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL.

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.