Narrative:

During the first hour of my shift, I ran and reviewed the dispatch MEL program results. This program compiles all dispatch notification required MEL items, desk specific, for my shift. I noticed a thrust reverser deferral, MEL 78-01 against aircraft X in ZZZ. This is an unusual occurrence, as that MEL 78-01 precludes dispatching an aircraft to an airport without an available runway length of only 5700 ft. I also noticed that the deferral had a date of may/fri/02 as the initiation of the placard. I had released the XXXX/xx dfw-ZZZ the previous day. It is curious that this would have slipped my attention. I run the MEL hypercard program at the beginning of each shift, I look again at the MEL's when setting up the release jr and check again when the actual release goes to calculation and prints from the dispatch desk printer. Looking back, the abc XXX/xx showed MEL items 'none.' this was the release document that was carried by the flight crew to the aircraft. This was backed up by looking at the entire flight XXX/xx dfw-ab flight log which showed all the entries I had made to prepare the release. No MEL items were showing against aircraft n-xxx. I called company technician who advised that this previously active MEL item had been reopened during the evening at the ZZZ maintenance base. I spoke next to maintenance manager who was very helpful in researching the history in the computer record. His analysis was that the night before evening of may/sat/02 aircraft n-xxx had overnighted at the other maintenance base. There the item had been erroneously canceled in the computer record by dfw maintenance. During the routine check of the computer record against the actual E-6 maintenance log onboard the aircraft on the next evening, may/sun/02 west coast maintenance caught the discrepancy. At that time, the shift manager reopened the placard. There is no mention in the MEL 78-01 precluding a takeoff from a runway less than 7100 ft. I spoke with the captain of departing light ZZZ-dfw before departure to make sure he was ok with accepting the aircraft takeoff with the thrust reverser inoperative. He was. The tire performance speed numbers are based on accelerate/stop distance using brakes only and no thrust reversers. This aircraft had operated 3 flight segments on may/sun/02 a ZZZ-1 round trip from dfw and the dfw-ZZZ flight with dispatch concurrence required MEL item 78-01 active and not displayed to dispatch.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 HAD A DEFERRED ENG REVERSER INADVERTENTLY CLRED BY MAINT AND THE ACFT DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE. ACFT RESTRS WERE NOT APPLIED.

Narrative: DURING THE FIRST HR OF MY SHIFT, I RAN AND REVIEWED THE DISPATCH MEL PROGRAM RESULTS. THIS PROGRAM COMPILES ALL DISPATCH NOTIFICATION REQUIRED MEL ITEMS, DESK SPECIFIC, FOR MY SHIFT. I NOTICED A THRUST REVERSER DEFERRAL, MEL 78-01 AGAINST ACFT X IN ZZZ. THIS IS AN UNUSUAL OCCURRENCE, AS THAT MEL 78-01 PRECLUDES DISPATCHING AN ACFT TO AN ARPT WITHOUT AN AVAILABLE RWY LENGTH OF ONLY 5700 FT. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE DEFERRAL HAD A DATE OF MAY/FRI/02 AS THE INITIATION OF THE PLACARD. I HAD RELEASED THE XXXX/XX DFW-ZZZ THE PREVIOUS DAY. IT IS CURIOUS THAT THIS WOULD HAVE SLIPPED MY ATTN. I RUN THE MEL HYPERCARD PROGRAM AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SHIFT, I LOOK AGAIN AT THE MEL'S WHEN SETTING UP THE RELEASE JR AND CHK AGAIN WHEN THE ACTUAL RELEASE GOES TO CALCULATION AND PRINTS FROM THE DISPATCH DESK PRINTER. LOOKING BACK, THE ABC XXX/XX SHOWED MEL ITEMS 'NONE.' THIS WAS THE RELEASE DOCUMENT THAT WAS CARRIED BY THE FLC TO THE ACFT. THIS WAS BACKED UP BY LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE FLT XXX/XX DFW-AB FLT LOG WHICH SHOWED ALL THE ENTRIES I HAD MADE TO PREPARE THE RELEASE. NO MEL ITEMS WERE SHOWING AGAINST ACFT N-XXX. I CALLED COMPANY TECHNICIAN WHO ADVISED THAT THIS PREVIOUSLY ACTIVE MEL ITEM HAD BEEN REOPENED DURING THE EVENING AT THE ZZZ MAINT BASE. I SPOKE NEXT TO MAINT MGR WHO WAS VERY HELPFUL IN RESEARCHING THE HISTORY IN THE COMPUTER RECORD. HIS ANALYSIS WAS THAT THE NIGHT BEFORE EVENING OF MAY/SAT/02 ACFT N-XXX HAD OVERNIGHTED AT THE OTHER MAINT BASE. THERE THE ITEM HAD BEEN ERRONEOUSLY CANCELED IN THE COMPUTER RECORD BY DFW MAINT. DURING THE ROUTINE CHK OF THE COMPUTER RECORD AGAINST THE ACTUAL E-6 MAINT LOG ONBOARD THE ACFT ON THE NEXT EVENING, MAY/SUN/02 WEST COAST MAINT CAUGHT THE DISCREPANCY. AT THAT TIME, THE SHIFT MGR REOPENED THE PLACARD. THERE IS NO MENTION IN THE MEL 78-01 PRECLUDING A TKOF FROM A RWY LESS THAN 7100 FT. I SPOKE WITH THE CAPT OF DEPARTING LIGHT ZZZ-DFW BEFORE DEP TO MAKE SURE HE WAS OK WITH ACCEPTING THE ACFT TKOF WITH THE THRUST REVERSER INOP. HE WAS. THE TIRE PERFORMANCE SPD NUMBERS ARE BASED ON ACCELERATE/STOP DISTANCE USING BRAKES ONLY AND NO THRUST REVERSERS. THIS ACFT HAD OPERATED 3 FLT SEGMENTS ON MAY/SUN/02 A ZZZ-1 ROUND TRIP FROM DFW AND THE DFW-ZZZ FLT WITH DISPATCH CONCURRENCE REQUIRED MEL ITEM 78-01 ACTIVE AND NOT DISPLAYED TO DISPATCH.

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.