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B737-200. Air carrier dispatcher issued a verbal ok for a deferral of a malfunctioning leading edge flap indication in non compliance with the MEL.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 569273 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200212 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : hou.airport |
| State Reference | TX |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tracon : n90.tracon |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : takeoff roll |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 900 |
| ASRS Report | 569723 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7200 |
| ASRS Report | 568924 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : tkof warning horn le flap indicator other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | flight crew : rejected takeoff none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Rejected takeoff. After pushing from the gate and performing the pre takeoff checklist, the leading edge flap in-transit light was illuminated along with the overhead indication for the #1 leading edge flap not extended. The captain called and asked dispatch to be connected with maintenance control. The dispatcher asked what the problem was. The captain described the problem and the indications we were getting and asked if we needed to pull back into the gate to get the problem fixed, or if we could get a verbal deferment and release. The dispatcher gave us a deferment with a time and his initials. We proceeded to the runway for takeoff. Upon advancing the thrust levers for takeoff, the takeoff warning horn sounded. We immediately aborted the takeoff and exited the runway at the first turnoff. We then proceeded back to the gate. After talking to maintenance as they fixed the improper indication at the gate, we later learned that while it is permissible to defer a leading edge slat not extended indication, it is not permissible to defer a leading edge flap not extended indication. If we were not already late, I believe that we would have taken the time to verify that we could in fact MEL the leading edge flap indication in the opc. I know I will take the time to do that the next time anyone verbally defers an item on an aircraft I am operating.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-200. ACR DISPATCHER ISSUED A VERBAL OK FOR A DEFERRAL OF A MALFUNCTIONING LEADING EDGE FLAP INDICATION IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEL.
Narrative: REJECTED TKOF. AFTER PUSHING FROM THE GATE AND PERFORMING THE PRE TKOF CHKLIST, THE LEADING EDGE FLAP IN-TRANSIT LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED ALONG WITH THE OVERHEAD INDICATION FOR THE #1 LEADING EDGE FLAP NOT EXTENDED. THE CAPT CALLED AND ASKED DISPATCH TO BE CONNECTED WITH MAINT CTL. THE DISPATCHER ASKED WHAT THE PROB WAS. THE CAPT DESCRIBED THE PROB AND THE INDICATIONS WE WERE GETTING AND ASKED IF WE NEEDED TO PULL BACK INTO THE GATE TO GET THE PROB FIXED, OR IF WE COULD GET A VERBAL DEFERMENT AND RELEASE. THE DISPATCHER GAVE US A DEFERMENT WITH A TIME AND HIS INITIALS. WE PROCEEDED TO THE RWY FOR TKOF. UPON ADVANCING THE THRUST LEVERS FOR TKOF, THE TKOF WARNING HORN SOUNDED. WE IMMEDIATELY ABORTED THE TKOF AND EXITED THE RWY AT THE FIRST TURNOFF. WE THEN PROCEEDED BACK TO THE GATE. AFTER TALKING TO MAINT AS THEY FIXED THE IMPROPER INDICATION AT THE GATE, WE LATER LEARNED THAT WHILE IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO DEFER A LEADING EDGE SLAT NOT EXTENDED INDICATION, IT IS NOT PERMISSIBLE TO DEFER A LEADING EDGE FLAP NOT EXTENDED INDICATION. IF WE WERE NOT ALREADY LATE, I BELIEVE THAT WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE TIME TO VERIFY THAT WE COULD IN FACT MEL THE LEADING EDGE FLAP INDICATION IN THE OPC. I KNOW I WILL TAKE THE TIME TO DO THAT THE NEXT TIME ANYONE VERBALLY DEFERS AN ITEM ON AN ACFT I AM OPERATING.
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.