Narrative:

We arrived at eh aircraft to find the APU running and began our setup. Having flown the aircraft on the previous day, the familiar orange sticker on the yaw damper meant we should prepare for a yaw damper inoperative flight. The cockpit was full of distractions with the gate agents, flight attendant brief, and maintenance dealing with the APU situation. We proceeded to fly the act as if the yaw damper were inoperative. During climb out I questioned the altitude and airspeed for this leg due to the yaw damper inoperative. I checked the flight plan, and it was not listed as an limit item, and asked to see the mrd. The mrd indicated that the yaw damper had in fact been cleared and signed off, it was then we noticed that the yaw damper engine light was off and the appropriate circuit breaker's were still collared. The flight proceeded without incident. The cockpit distractions/misleading mrd lead us to believe we had an inoperative yaw damper. However, there were clues that we should have caught. The flight plan (altitude/airspeed) and lack of limit item, the circuit breaker's collared, and the orange sticker still in place when it had been cleared.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED N NON COMPLIANCE WITH YAW DAMPER REPAIRED AND CLRED BUT CB'S AND PLACARDS NOT RESET OR REMOVED.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED AT EH ACFT TO FIND THE APU RUNNING AND BEGAN OUR SETUP. HAVING FLOWN THE ACFT ON THE PREVIOUS DAY, THE FAMILIAR ORANGE STICKER ON THE YAW DAMPER MEANT WE SHOULD PREPARE FOR A YAW DAMPER INOP FLT. THE COCKPIT WAS FULL OF DISTRACTIONS WITH THE GATE AGENTS, FLT ATTENDANT BRIEF, AND MAINT DEALING WITH THE APU SIT. WE PROCEEDED TO FLY THE ACT AS IF THE YAW DAMPER WERE INOP. DURING CLIMB OUT I QUESTIONED THE ALTITUDE AND AIRSPEED FOR THIS LEG DUE TO THE YAW DAMPER INOP. I CHECKED THE FLT PLAN, AND IT WAS NOT LISTED AS AN LIMIT ITEM, AND ASKED TO SEE THE MRD. THE MRD INDICATED THAT THE YAW DAMPER HAD IN FACT BEEN CLRED AND SIGNED OFF, IT WAS THEN WE NOTICED THAT THE YAW DAMPER ENG LIGHT WAS OFF AND THE APPROPRIATE CB'S WERE STILL COLLARED. THE FLT PROCEEDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. THE COCKPIT DISTRACTIONS/MISLEADING MRD LEAD US TO BELIEVE WE HAD AN INOP YAW DAMPER. HOWEVER, THERE WERE CLUES THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CAUGHT. THE FLT PLAN (ALT/AIRSPD) AND LACK OF LIMIT ITEM, THE CB'S COLLARED, AND THE ORANGE STICKER STILL IN PLACE WHEN IT HAD BEEN CLRED.

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.