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An airbus 300 was dispatched in non compliance with repeated pitch feel fault and rudder travel system fail warnings on #1 and #2 systems in conflict with the MEL 10 day repair limit.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 541914 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200203 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : sjc.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | other |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 541914 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : pitch trim fault warning other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | MEL |
Narrative:
Item xx repeated four times. One write up indicated both rudder travel system failed and pitch feel fault came on. One occurrence of same fault was in flight. MEL section dictates the first PIREP will be used for MEL deferrals for repair. This was a category C item. The first occurrence was so far back it had been cleaned out of the log book. Maintenance log entry made documenting out of date placard. Page xxxxxxx. We were given another aircraft. Repair could only be made at ZZZ1. XXX was redispatched to ZZZ1. Efforts were made to inform air carrier operations chief and union before redispatch. MEL gen change dated 3/fri was in effect for this dispatch for XXX. ZZZ ZZZ2 regarding pitch feel jackscrew. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated in checking the maintenance history in the logbook of the airplane on the pitch trim fault it was obvious the airplane had a horizontal stabilizer jackscrew problem and needed special routing to ZZZ1 where a specialized jack was available. The reporter said the airplane was refused due to the number of reports in the logbook on the jackscrew jamming and causing a fault warning which was deferred per the MEL. The reporter stated the system was reset repeatedly and the deferred item cleared ignoring the requirement for the 10 day window repair. The reporter said the 10 day limit in the MEL cannot be interpreted any other way but fix in 10 days.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS 300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH REPEATED PITCH FEEL FAULT AND RUDDER TRAVEL SYSTEM FAIL WARNINGS ON #1 AND #2 SYSTEMS IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL 10 DAY REPAIR LIMIT.
Narrative: ITEM XX REPEATED FOUR TIMES. ONE WRITE UP INDICATED BOTH RUDDER TRAVEL SYS FAILED AND PITCH FEEL FAULT CAME ON. ONE OCCURRENCE OF SAME FAULT WAS IN FLT. MEL SECTION DICTATES THE FIRST PIREP WILL BE USED FOR MEL DEFERRALS FOR REPAIR. THIS WAS A CATEGORY C ITEM. THE FIRST OCCURRENCE WAS SO FAR BACK IT HAD BEEN CLEANED OUT OF THE LOG BOOK. MAINT LOG ENTRY MADE DOCUMENTING OUT OF DATE PLACARD. PAGE XXXXXXX. WE WERE GIVEN ANOTHER ACFT. REPAIR COULD ONLY BE MADE AT ZZZ1. XXX WAS REDISPATCHED TO ZZZ1. EFFORTS WERE MADE TO INFORM ACR OPS CHIEF AND UNION BEFORE REDISPATCH. MEL GEN CHANGE DATED 3/FRI WAS IN EFFECT FOR THIS DISPATCH FOR XXX. ZZZ ZZZ2 REGARDING PITCH FEEL JACKSCREW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IN CHECKING THE MAINT HISTORY IN THE LOGBOOK OF THE AIRPLANE ON THE PITCH TRIM FAULT IT WAS OBVIOUS THE AIRPLANE HAD A HORIZONTAL STABILIZER JACKSCREW PROB AND NEEDED SPECIAL ROUTING TO ZZZ1 WHERE A SPECIALIZED JACK WAS AVAILABLE. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS REFUSED DUE TO THE NUMBER OF RPTS IN THE LOGBOOK ON THE JACKSCREW JAMMING AND CAUSING A FAULT WARNING WHICH WAS DEFERRED PER THE MEL. THE RPTR STATED THE SYSTEM WAS RESET REPEATEDLY AND THE DEFERRED ITEM CLRED IGNORING THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE 10 DAY WINDOW REPAIR. THE RPTR SAID THE 10 DAY LIMIT IN THE MEL CANNOT BE INTERPRETED ANY OTHER WAY BUT FIX IN 10 DAYS.
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.