Narrative:

During preflight activities of flight ZZZ to ZZZ1 on may/wed/03, I was reviewing the aircraft maintenance logbook and the list to investigate a main landing gear door removal on may/tue/03. The list allows aircraft operation with one or both gear doors missing and provides performance penalties for one or both doors missing. While looking at list for 'main landing gear left/right doors,' it appeared that the list was not in compliance. The list listed a 7 day limitation under the performance penalties for 'both' doors missing. It was my understanding that the 7-DAY limitation applied to either 'one' or 'both' doors removed. According to the maintenance release the right door was removed on may/tue/03. Not including the day of the removal, counting forward 7 days would limit the aircraft operation to XA00 of may/tue/03. I called ZZZ line maintenance to address the issue. Line maintenance informed me that I was not counting the 7-DAY limitation correctly. They said the 7-DAY limitation did not expire until midnight of may/wed/03. I was not satisfied with the response received from ZZZ maintenance so I called maintenance control. After describing the situation to maintenance control, they informed me that this has created much confusion among the pilot group regarding the limitations. They informed me that the FAA has approved the list and the 7-DAY limitation only applied to 'both' doors removed. They said 'since the 7-DAY limitation is under the section listing performance penalties for both doors, the limitation only applies 'both' doors removed not one.' they informed me that the aircraft was legal to dispatch. After discussing the issued with maintenance control, I believed that my original interpretation was incorrect. We dispatched to ZZZ1 after a 30 min delay resulting from the discussions with maintenance. We landed uneventfully in ZZZ1. The next day, I discussed the matter with the base manager and after further investigation it was determined that the airplane was not in compliance with the list as maintenance said. The 7-DAY limitation applied to both sits -- 'one' or 'both' doors missing.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH 2 MAIN GEAR DOORS REMOVED PER THE CONFIGN DEV LIST BUT TIME LIMIT EXPIRED.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT ACTIVITIES OF FLT ZZZ TO ZZZ1 ON MAY/WED/03, I WAS REVIEWING THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK AND THE LIST TO INVESTIGATE A MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR REMOVAL ON MAY/TUE/03. THE LIST ALLOWS ACFT OP WITH ONE OR BOTH GEAR DOORS MISSING AND PROVIDES PERFORMANCE PENALTIES FOR ONE OR BOTH DOORS MISSING. WHILE LOOKING AT LIST FOR 'MAIN LNDG GEAR L/R DOORS,' IT APPEARED THAT THE LIST WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE. THE LIST LISTED A 7 DAY LIMITATION UNDER THE PERFORMANCE PENALTIES FOR 'BOTH' DOORS MISSING. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE 7-DAY LIMITATION APPLIED TO EITHER 'ONE' OR 'BOTH' DOORS REMOVED. ACCORDING TO THE MAINT RELEASE THE R DOOR WAS REMOVED ON MAY/TUE/03. NOT INCLUDING THE DAY OF THE REMOVAL, COUNTING FORWARD 7 DAYS WOULD LIMIT THE ACFT OP TO XA00 OF MAY/TUE/03. I CALLED ZZZ LINE MAINT TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE. LINE MAINT INFORMED ME THAT I WAS NOT COUNTING THE 7-DAY LIMITATION CORRECTLY. THEY SAID THE 7-DAY LIMITATION DID NOT EXPIRE UNTIL MIDNIGHT OF MAY/WED/03. I WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE RESPONSE RECEIVED FROM ZZZ MAINT SO I CALLED MAINT CTL. AFTER DESCRIBING THE SIT TO MAINT CTL, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THIS HAS CREATED MUCH CONFUSION AMONG THE PLT GROUP REGARDING THE LIMITATIONS. THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE FAA HAS APPROVED THE LIST AND THE 7-DAY LIMITATION ONLY APPLIED TO 'BOTH' DOORS REMOVED. THEY SAID 'SINCE THE 7-DAY LIMITATION IS UNDER THE SECTION LISTING PERFORMANCE PENALTIES FOR BOTH DOORS, THE LIMITATION ONLY APPLIES 'BOTH' DOORS REMOVED NOT ONE.' THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO DISPATCH. AFTER DISCUSSING THE ISSUED WITH MAINT CTL, I BELIEVED THAT MY ORIGINAL INTERP WAS INCORRECT. WE DISPATCHED TO ZZZ1 AFTER A 30 MIN DELAY RESULTING FROM THE DISCUSSIONS WITH MAINT. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY IN ZZZ1. THE NEXT DAY, I DISCUSSED THE MATTER WITH THE BASE MGR AND AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LIST AS MAINT SAID. THE 7-DAY LIMITATION APPLIED TO BOTH SITS -- 'ONE' OR 'BOTH' DOORS MISSING.

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.