B737-700 crew departed without a proper deferral from the dispatcher at bos.

Attributes
ACN	584680
Time
Date	200306
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bos.airport
State Reference	MA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sat.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	584680
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : multi engine pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : private
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 13000 flight time type : 1500
ASRS Report	584960
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The aircraft arrived about 25 mins late with a medical emergency on board. When we boarded the aircraft, we discovered that 1 therapeutic oxygen bottle, 1 medical oxygen bottle, and the medical kit had been used. These discrepancies were entered in the maintenance log and maintenance control contacted. We were able to get MEL's for the therapeutic oxygen and the medical kit and able to defer the medical oxygen. Flight crew MEL procedures were followed and the logbook paperwork completed. By this time, boarding was almost completed and we got clearance and completed the before start checklist with the idea that we would contact sea dispatch before pushback to amend our release to reflect the added MEL's. Well, as is probably obvious, we got busy and forgot to contact dispatch, who apparently was also distraction with the bad WX up and down the east coast. Bottom line is, we took off without amending our release. Just too much going on in a compressed amount of time. Supplemental information from acn 584960: I thought dispatch had amended our release to show the MEL's. I started to copy the MEL information onto the paperwork, but got distraction by boarding and trying to get out on time. I thought I'd had an amended release when the captain was talking to maintenance control, and I copied most of the information at that time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW DEPARTED WITHOUT A PROPER DEFERRAL FROM THE DISPATCHER AT BOS.

Narrative: THE ACFT ARRIVED ABOUT 25 MINS LATE WITH A MEDICAL EMER ON BOARD. WHEN WE BOARDED THE ACFT, WE DISCOVERED THAT 1 THERAPEUTIC OXYGEN BOTTLE, 1 MEDICAL OXYGEN BOTTLE, AND THE MEDICAL KIT HAD BEEN USED. THESE DISCREPANCIES WERE ENTERED IN THE MAINT LOG AND MAINT CTL CONTACTED. WE WERE ABLE TO GET MEL'S FOR THE THERAPEUTIC OXYGEN AND THE MEDICAL KIT AND ABLE TO DEFER THE MEDICAL OXYGEN. FLT CREW MEL PROCS WERE FOLLOWED AND THE LOGBOOK PAPERWORK COMPLETED. BY THIS TIME, BOARDING WAS ALMOST COMPLETED AND WE GOT CLRNC AND COMPLETED THE BEFORE START CHKLIST WITH THE IDEA THAT WE WOULD CONTACT SEA DISPATCH BEFORE PUSHBACK TO AMEND OUR RELEASE TO REFLECT THE ADDED MEL'S. WELL, AS IS PROBABLY OBVIOUS, WE GOT BUSY AND FORGOT TO CONTACT DISPATCH, WHO APPARENTLY WAS ALSO DISTR WITH THE BAD WX UP AND DOWN THE EAST COAST. BOTTOM LINE IS, WE TOOK OFF WITHOUT AMENDING OUR RELEASE. JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON IN A COMPRESSED AMOUNT OF TIME. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 584960: I THOUGHT DISPATCH HAD AMENDED OUR RELEASE TO SHOW THE MEL'S. I STARTED TO COPY THE MEL INFO ONTO THE PAPERWORK, BUT GOT DISTR BY BOARDING AND TRYING TO GET OUT ON TIME. I THOUGHT I'D HAD AN AMENDED RELEASE WHEN THE CAPT WAS TALKING TO MAINT CTL, AND I COPIED MOST OF THE INFO AT THAT TIME.

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.