<< >> NASA ASRS Report 591047, August 2003

A B737-700 captain questions a deferred item requiring visual inspection of an engine oil screen once per day. Believes check should have been done on first flight.

Attributes
ACN	591047
Time
Date	200308
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	591047
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

After doing the walk-around, we notified company representative that we had an open MEL 79-2, which requires inspection of oil filter by maintenance. After a delay and numerous calls to company maintenance by company representative, we received ACARS message from dispatch. Unable to find definition of flight day and unable to talk directly to company maintenance, we launched on uneventful flight to ZZZ1 for we assumed maintenance knew what they were doing. MEL 79-2 oil filter bypass warning system. Maintenance action: visually inspect oil filter for contaminants once each flight day. With this MEL and note from dispatch, we launched. First of all, where does it say it must be done on first flight of the flight day -- it does not. It would make sense to do it on the first flight. Second, need a definition for flight day. I see how maintenance could and would want to wait until aircraft arrived in ZZZ1 prior to inspection, although reason and safety would want it done on first flight from ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 CAPT QUESTIONS A DEFERRED ITEM REQUIRING VISUAL INSPECTION OF AN ENG OIL SCREEN ONCE PER DAY. BELIEVES CHK SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE ON FIRST FLT.

Narrative: AFTER DOING THE WALK-AROUND, WE NOTIFIED COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE THAT WE HAD AN OPEN MEL 79-2, WHICH REQUIRES INSPECTION OF OIL FILTER BY MAINT. AFTER A DELAY AND NUMEROUS CALLS TO COMPANY MAINT BY COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE, WE RECEIVED ACARS MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH. UNABLE TO FIND DEFINITION OF FLT DAY AND UNABLE TO TALK DIRECTLY TO COMPANY MAINT, WE LAUNCHED ON UNEVENTFUL FLT TO ZZZ1 FOR WE ASSUMED MAINT KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING. MEL 79-2 OIL FILTER BYPASS WARNING SYS. MAINT ACTION: VISUALLY INSPECT OIL FILTER FOR CONTAMINANTS ONCE EACH FLT DAY. WITH THIS MEL AND NOTE FROM DISPATCH, WE LAUNCHED. FIRST OF ALL, WHERE DOES IT SAY IT MUST BE DONE ON FIRST FLT OF THE FLT DAY -- IT DOES NOT. IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO DO IT ON THE FIRST FLT. SECOND, NEED A DEFINITION FOR FLT DAY. I SEE HOW MAINT COULD AND WOULD WANT TO WAIT UNTIL ACFT ARRIVED IN ZZZ1 PRIOR TO INSPECTION, ALTHOUGH REASON AND SAFETY WOULD WANT IT DONE ON FIRST FLT FROM ZZZ.

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.