Narrative:

Improper maintenance deferral. On may/sun/02, captain and myself did a ZZZ turn out of ZZZ1. We found a discrepancy in the maintenance log that was an improper deferral of a thrust reverser. It was in the logbook and in the microphone sheet, but did not have the white placard in the front of the book. The item was not on the flight plan which means that dispatch probably didn't know about the item. A failure on my part was not making sure that the captain was informed that this needed to be addressed to dispatch so that they were in the loop. After we got back to ZZZ1, maintenance finished the deferral correctly. The aircraft was scheduled to continue on to ZZZ2. As we were leaving the aircraft, the maintenance chief was in the galley correcting the paperwork, and the new first officer was getting on the plane. I told him about the left thrust reverser being deferred since they were going to ZZZ2 and the MEL says not to be dispatched into a runway that was 7000 ft or less. He agreed. I don't recall seeing the new captain there, but I might have missed him or my captain might have already told him. Later that day, I went to ZZZ2 with a different captain and different plane. The next morning in ZZZ2, we got to the gate and sure enough there is this very plane with the left thrust reverser still deferred. After consulting with dispatch and maintenance, we agreed to take the plane out, since that MEL applied to landing the aircraft, and the takeoff accelerate/stop performance numbers are not based on the use of reverse thrust. In making sure that this is learning process next time I will make sure that if something is deferred and not on the flight plan, a phone call to dispatch will be made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW HAD AN IMPROPERLY DEFERRED THRUST REVERSER. PLT LATER DISCOVERED THE ACFT WAS OPERATED INTO AN ARPT THAT HAD A RWY TOO SHORT TO COMPLY WITH MEL RESTRS.

Narrative: IMPROPER MAINT DEFERRAL. ON MAY/SUN/02, CAPT AND MYSELF DID A ZZZ TURN OUT OF ZZZ1. WE FOUND A DISCREPANCY IN THE MAINT LOG THAT WAS AN IMPROPER DEFERRAL OF A THRUST REVERSER. IT WAS IN THE LOGBOOK AND IN THE MIC SHEET, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE WHITE PLACARD IN THE FRONT OF THE BOOK. THE ITEM WAS NOT ON THE FLT PLAN WHICH MEANS THAT DISPATCH PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE ITEM. A FAILURE ON MY PART WAS NOT MAKING SURE THAT THE CAPT WAS INFORMED THAT THIS NEEDED TO BE ADDRESSED TO DISPATCH SO THAT THEY WERE IN THE LOOP. AFTER WE GOT BACK TO ZZZ1, MAINT FINISHED THE DEFERRAL CORRECTLY. THE ACFT WAS SCHEDULED TO CONTINUE ON TO ZZZ2. AS WE WERE LEAVING THE ACFT, THE MAINT CHIEF WAS IN THE GALLEY CORRECTING THE PAPERWORK, AND THE NEW FO WAS GETTING ON THE PLANE. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE L THRUST REVERSER BEING DEFERRED SINCE THEY WERE GOING TO ZZZ2 AND THE MEL SAYS NOT TO BE DISPATCHED INTO A RWY THAT WAS 7000 FT OR LESS. HE AGREED. I DON'T RECALL SEEING THE NEW CAPT THERE, BUT I MIGHT HAVE MISSED HIM OR MY CAPT MIGHT HAVE ALREADY TOLD HIM. LATER THAT DAY, I WENT TO ZZZ2 WITH A DIFFERENT CAPT AND DIFFERENT PLANE. THE NEXT MORNING IN ZZZ2, WE GOT TO THE GATE AND SURE ENOUGH THERE IS THIS VERY PLANE WITH THE L THRUST REVERSER STILL DEFERRED. AFTER CONSULTING WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT, WE AGREED TO TAKE THE PLANE OUT, SINCE THAT MEL APPLIED TO LNDG THE ACFT, AND THE TKOF ACCELERATE/STOP PERFORMANCE NUMBERS ARE NOT BASED ON THE USE OF REVERSE THRUST. IN MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS LEARNING PROCESS NEXT TIME I WILL MAKE SURE THAT IF SOMETHING IS DEFERRED AND NOT ON THE FLT PLAN, A PHONE CALL TO DISPATCH WILL BE MADE.

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.