Narrative:

Took aircraft from bwi-sju-mia with MEL 52-5 concerning an inoperative electrical drive on the forward cargo door. Contract maintenance was at the aircraft when I arrived. They told me they were there to help baggage with manually opening/closing the cargo door. I looked up the MEL item and it said 'may be inoperative per mpm 52-05.' we then had a problem with an oil leak on the left engine requiring us to turn the engine. After servicing the engine, and complete check, maintenance signed off the book on the engine, and we departed. We had another mechanical problem in sju with the APU and took another delay. Just prior to departure from stt, I was informed by the dispatcher just coming on duty, that my MEL 52-5 required a maintenance signoff on the cargo door. I looked again at the MEL, and there was no reference to a required signoff. I then looked at the logbook again, and there was a signoff by maintenance in sju concerning the cargo door being verified closed. The cargo door was never opened in stt, so we checked with maintenance and they said we were good to go. This MEL item is very obscure and incomplete. I assume that maintenance complies with the mpm, but I have no guidance or written warning that a maintenance signoff is required if the door is opened. I departed bwi without a written signoff, however, I had been told verbally by contract maintenance that the door was closed properly. In all the confusion with the various mechanical problems, and the troubleshooting required, I did not have time to be suspicious about the placard on MEL 52-5, and the MEL item itself did not address the major concern of a logbook signoff. I would like to suggest the following additional paragraphs be added to the MEL to protect the company and the flight crew's from possible violations. Add second paragraph 'if cargo door is used, maintenance is required to verify door closed -- and an entry is required prior to the next departure.' third paragraph 'yellow form placard used.' the placard is not addressed in the MEL or the mpm, but was used in this case. I just failed to notice that it was yellow and that it required maintenance action. In the interim, a note on the flight plan, stating that a signoff may be necessary, would be very helpful in preventing this from happening again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DEV FROM MEL REQUIREMENTS BY A FLC OF A B757-200. THEY DEPARTED WITHOUT HAVING A CARGO DOOR SIGNED OFF AS CLOSED WHEN THE ELECTRICAL DRIVE MECHANISM HAD BEEN DEFERRED FOR MAINT.

Narrative: TOOK ACFT FROM BWI-SJU-MIA WITH MEL 52-5 CONCERNING AN INOP ELECTRICAL DRIVE ON THE FORWARD CARGO DOOR. CONTRACT MAINT WAS AT THE ACFT WHEN I ARRIVED. THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE THERE TO HELP BAGGAGE WITH MANUALLY OPENING/CLOSING THE CARGO DOOR. I LOOKED UP THE MEL ITEM AND IT SAID 'MAY BE INOP PER MPM 52-05.' WE THEN HAD A PROB WITH AN OIL LEAK ON THE L ENG REQUIRING US TO TURN THE ENG. AFTER SERVICING THE ENG, AND COMPLETE CHK, MAINT SIGNED OFF THE BOOK ON THE ENG, AND WE DEPARTED. WE HAD ANOTHER MECHANICAL PROB IN SJU WITH THE APU AND TOOK ANOTHER DELAY. JUST PRIOR TO DEP FROM STT, I WAS INFORMED BY THE DISPATCHER JUST COMING ON DUTY, THAT MY MEL 52-5 REQUIRED A MAINT SIGNOFF ON THE CARGO DOOR. I LOOKED AGAIN AT THE MEL, AND THERE WAS NO REF TO A REQUIRED SIGNOFF. I THEN LOOKED AT THE LOGBOOK AGAIN, AND THERE WAS A SIGNOFF BY MAINT IN SJU CONCERNING THE CARGO DOOR BEING VERIFIED CLOSED. THE CARGO DOOR WAS NEVER OPENED IN STT, SO WE CHKED WITH MAINT AND THEY SAID WE WERE GOOD TO GO. THIS MEL ITEM IS VERY OBSCURE AND INCOMPLETE. I ASSUME THAT MAINT COMPLIES WITH THE MPM, BUT I HAVE NO GUIDANCE OR WRITTEN WARNING THAT A MAINT SIGNOFF IS REQUIRED IF THE DOOR IS OPENED. I DEPARTED BWI WITHOUT A WRITTEN SIGNOFF, HOWEVER, I HAD BEEN TOLD VERBALLY BY CONTRACT MAINT THAT THE DOOR WAS CLOSED PROPERLY. IN ALL THE CONFUSION WITH THE VARIOUS MECHANICAL PROBS, AND THE TROUBLESHOOTING REQUIRED, I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO BE SUSPICIOUS ABOUT THE PLACARD ON MEL 52-5, AND THE MEL ITEM ITSELF DID NOT ADDRESS THE MAJOR CONCERN OF A LOGBOOK SIGNOFF. I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL PARAGRAPHS BE ADDED TO THE MEL TO PROTECT THE COMPANY AND THE FLC'S FROM POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS. ADD SECOND PARAGRAPH 'IF CARGO DOOR IS USED, MAINT IS REQUIRED TO VERIFY DOOR CLOSED -- AND AN ENTRY IS REQUIRED PRIOR TO THE NEXT DEP.' THIRD PARAGRAPH 'YELLOW FORM PLACARD USED.' THE PLACARD IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE MEL OR THE MPM, BUT WAS USED IN THIS CASE. I JUST FAILED TO NOTICE THAT IT WAS YELLOW AND THAT IT REQUIRED MAINT ACTION. IN THE INTERIM, A NOTE ON THE FLT PLAN, STATING THAT A SIGNOFF MAY BE NECESSARY, WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IN PREVENTING THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN.

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.