Narrative:

Departure without legal current maintenance document. Aircraft had deferred hydraulic quantity gauge. MEL required sight check of hydraulic quantity prior to each departure. Operations was not informed. We informed them and had an FBO technician check the quantity. He advised us quantity ok, and no log entry required per company maintenance controller. We departed with maintenance document issued that morning in denver, as shown to be valid from our release currency check via ACARS. We were informed in the air that a logbook entry and a new maintenance document were required. Ergo, we were flying an 'unairworhty' airplane (my description). Nowhere in our paperwork did it show that a log entry/new maintenance document was required. Nor did maintenance controller inform the local mechanic that such entry was required. Supplemental information from acn 586841: we had an MEL card. We called operations to see if mechanic had done the required visual check of the right hydraulic reservoir quantity. Operations was unaware of such need so we all got on phone with maintenance controller. Maintenance controller said it had been generated. Operations then got a mechanic over to do the check and said the quantity was fine. We then left. The MEL card did not specify any logbook action. In-flight sent an ACARS that said we had to have the mechanic write in the logbook and we were to have had a new maintenance document, which we did not. We don't know why maintenance controller was not in touch with the station, the mechanic or why we did not get this information. We referred to the form and could not find any information on this. The MEL card was not specific.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW DEPARTED THE STATION WITHOUT A MAINT OR HAVING THE REQUIRED MEL INSPECTION IN THE LOGBOOK.

Narrative: DEP WITHOUT LEGAL CURRENT MAINT DOCUMENT. ACFT HAD DEFERRED HYD QUANTITY GAUGE. MEL REQUIRED SIGHT CHK OF HYD QUANTITY PRIOR TO EACH DEP. OPS WAS NOT INFORMED. WE INFORMED THEM AND HAD AN FBO TECHNICIAN CHK THE QUANTITY. HE ADVISED US QUANTITY OK, AND NO LOG ENTRY REQUIRED PER COMPANY MAINT CTLR. WE DEPARTED WITH MAINT DOCUMENT ISSUED THAT MORNING IN DENVER, AS SHOWN TO BE VALID FROM OUR RELEASE CURRENCY CHK VIA ACARS. WE WERE INFORMED IN THE AIR THAT A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND A NEW MAINT DOCUMENT WERE REQUIRED. ERGO, WE WERE FLYING AN 'UNAIRWORHTY' AIRPLANE (MY DESCRIPTION). NOWHERE IN OUR PAPERWORK DID IT SHOW THAT A LOG ENTRY/NEW MAINT DOCUMENT WAS REQUIRED. NOR DID MAINT CTLR INFORM THE LCL MECH THAT SUCH ENTRY WAS REQUIRED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 586841: WE HAD AN MEL CARD. WE CALLED OPS TO SEE IF MECH HAD DONE THE REQUIRED VISUAL CHK OF THE R HYD RESERVOIR QUANTITY. OPS WAS UNAWARE OF SUCH NEED SO WE ALL GOT ON PHONE WITH MAINT CTLR. MAINT CTLR SAID IT HAD BEEN GENERATED. OPS THEN GOT A MECH OVER TO DO THE CHK AND SAID THE QUANTITY WAS FINE. WE THEN LEFT. THE MEL CARD DID NOT SPECIFY ANY LOGBOOK ACTION. INFLT SENT AN ACARS THAT SAID WE HAD TO HAVE THE MECH WRITE IN THE LOGBOOK AND WE WERE TO HAVE HAD A NEW MAINT DOCUMENT, WHICH WE DID NOT. WE DON'T KNOW WHY MAINT CTLR WAS NOT IN TOUCH WITH THE STATION, THE MECH OR WHY WE DID NOT GET THIS INFO. WE REFERRED TO THE FORM AND COULD NOT FIND ANY INFO ON THIS. THE MEL CARD WAS NOT SPECIFIC.

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.