B737-400 mechanic did not deactivate the fuel totalizer summation unit in accordance with the MEL.

Attributes
ACN	586570
Time
Date	200307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : psp.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : pushback ground : preflight ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : multi engine pilot : instrument
ASRS Report	586570
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : fuel totalizer other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Day (jul/thu/03) began with a delay leaving psp, due to delay in arriving aircraft. Upon reaching sfo, learned that we had been swapped into an aircraft with a mechanical of unknown nature. Crowd control was a distinct factor in the mind of all crew members, because the waiting passenger had received very little information regarding the flight and were becoming agitated. From originally scheduled departure, the delay finally reached 5 hours before we were able to departure. Aircraft X had experienced a #1 thrust reverser failure, which was replaced by local maintenance, and also had an outstanding MEL for an inoperative #2 fuel gauge. Because we had flown the previous day, and had been the crew that observed the inclusion of the MEL, we noted that it was included on the release and concentrated on the thrust reverser gripe. Approximately over eugene, the captain noticed that the the fuel summation unit (which had been disconnected the previous day during our flight), was functioning. Inspection of the logbook revealed that the original gripe had been signed off and the fuel gauge subsequently written up oa second time at yvr earlier jul/thu/03. Upon issuance of the second MEL, the summation unit had failed to be disconnected by contract maintenance at yvr. We notified maintenance via ACARS and noted the discrepancy in the logbook.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 MECH DID NOT DEACTIVATE THE FUEL TOTALIZER SUMMATION UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: DAY (JUL/THU/03) BEGAN WITH A DELAY LEAVING PSP, DUE TO DELAY IN ARRIVING ACFT. UPON REACHING SFO, LEARNED THAT WE HAD BEEN SWAPPED INTO AN ACFT WITH A MECHANICAL OF UNKNOWN NATURE. CROWD CTL WAS A DISTINCT FACTOR IN THE MIND OF ALL CREW MEMBERS, BECAUSE THE WAITING PAX HAD RECEIVED VERY LITTLE INFO REGARDING THE FLT AND WERE BECOMING AGITATED. FROM ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED DEP, THE DELAY FINALLY REACHED 5 HRS BEFORE WE WERE ABLE TO DEP. ACFT X HAD EXPERIENCED A #1 THRUST REVERSER FAILURE, WHICH WAS REPLACED BY LOCAL MAINT, AND ALSO HAD AN OUTSTANDING MEL FOR AN INOPERATIVE #2 FUEL GAUGE. BECAUSE WE HAD FLOWN THE PREVIOUS DAY, AND HAD BEEN THE CREW THAT OBSERVED THE INCLUSION OF THE MEL, WE NOTED THAT IT WAS INCLUDED ON THE RELEASE AND CONCENTRATED ON THE THRUST REVERSER GRIPE. APPROX OVER EUGENE, THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THE THE FUEL SUMMATION UNIT (WHICH HAD BEEN DISCONNECTED THE PREVIOUS DAY DURING OUR FLT), WAS FUNCTIONING. INSPECTION OF THE LOGBOOK REVEALED THAT THE ORIGINAL GRIPE HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF AND THE FUEL GAUGE SUBSEQUENTLY WRITTEN UP OA SECOND TIME AT YVR EARLIER JUL/THU/03. UPON ISSUANCE OF THE SECOND MEL, THE SUMMATION UNIT HAD FAILED TO BE DISCONNECTED BY CONTRACT MAINT AT YVR. WE NOTIFIED MAINT VIA ACARS AND NOTED THE DISCREPANCY IN THE LOGBOOK.

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.