Narrative:

While taxiing from hangar to gate, and just before arriving at gate, went to switch radio from transmitting on VHF #1 to VHF #2 to call company operation to find out which gate the plane was to be parked at. When transmitting, I was still transmitting on VHF #1 and not VHF #2 which I had selected on first officer's panel. I noticed that VHF #1 switch did not fully disengage. The technician driving call on his panel we receive are information as to which gate. Once parked, noticed that VHF #2 selector switch was not fully engaging. Looked in MEL book, found a deferral 23-10-2 which is for the radio management panel radio select buttons, which lets you defer one as long as you can receive on both VHF's and transmit on one, which this could do. Called maintenance control, explained the problem and deferred it under that MEL, then left for my shift was over. When arriving at work, was told the panel that I deferred was not the radio management panel, but the audio selector panel and that there isn't a MEL for that. I believe that this can be easily confused and that the MEL book should contain an illustration with where the components are and proper name to avoid this and other components in the cockpit that names could be confused with something else. At the time I deferred this, I had no reason to doubt that it was the 'radio management panel,' because on the 'audio selector panel,' you select which radios you transmit from, receive from.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AVRO J85 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN AUDIO CTL PANEL DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: WHILE TAXIING FROM HANGAR TO GATE, AND JUST BEFORE ARRIVING AT GATE, WENT TO SWITCH RADIO FROM XMITTING ON VHF #1 TO VHF #2 TO CALL COMPANY OP TO FIND OUT WHICH GATE THE PLANE WAS TO BE PARKED AT. WHEN XMITTING, I WAS STILL XMITTING ON VHF #1 AND NOT VHF #2 WHICH I HAD SELECTED ON FO'S PANEL. I NOTICED THAT VHF #1 SWITCH DID NOT FULLY DISENGAGE. THE TECHNICIAN DRIVING CALL ON HIS PANEL WE RECEIVE ARE INFO AS TO WHICH GATE. ONCE PARKED, NOTICED THAT VHF #2 SELECTOR SWITCH WAS NOT FULLY ENGAGING. LOOKED IN MEL BOOK, FOUND A DEFERRAL 23-10-2 WHICH IS FOR THE RADIO MGMNT PANEL RADIO SELECT BUTTONS, WHICH LETS YOU DEFER ONE AS LONG AS YOU CAN RECEIVE ON BOTH VHF'S AND XMIT ON ONE, WHICH THIS COULD DO. CALLED MAINT CTL, EXPLAINED THE PROB AND DEFERRED IT UNDER THAT MEL, THEN LEFT FOR MY SHIFT WAS OVER. WHEN ARRIVING AT WORK, WAS TOLD THE PANEL THAT I DEFERRED WAS NOT THE RADIO MGMNT PANEL, BUT THE AUDIO SELECTOR PANEL AND THAT THERE ISN'T A MEL FOR THAT. I BELIEVE THAT THIS CAN BE EASILY CONFUSED AND THAT THE MEL BOOK SHOULD CONTAIN AN ILLUSTRATION WITH WHERE THE COMPONENTS ARE AND PROPER NAME TO AVOID THIS AND OTHER COMPONENTS IN THE COCKPIT THAT NAMES COULD BE CONFUSED WITH SOMETHING ELSE. AT THE TIME I DEFERRED THIS, I HAD NO REASON TO DOUBT THAT IT WAS THE 'RADIO MGMNT PANEL,' BECAUSE ON THE 'AUDIO SELECTOR PANEL,' YOU SELECT WHICH RADIOS YOU XMIT FROM, RECEIVE FROM.

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.