Narrative:

While I was in operations, I listened to a captain describe his encounter with severe turbulence south of dca. I talked at length with dispatch about WX reports for the dca area and PIREPS. With the deteriorating WX and the threat of serious turbulence on my mind, I went out to the airplane to prepare flight for the trip. Our aircraft had a pack inoperative which restr the altitude to FL250 and we were dispatched at FL220. The ride was forecast to be bad at FL220 and I knew from our inbound flight that the ride was in fact bad. I took time to brief the flight attendants about the ride, insured that they understood that I wanted them to keep their seats until I called. During my welcoming PA, I stressed to the passenger that the ride was going to be bumpy, the flight attendants would remain seated, and that it was imperative that they observe and comply with the seatbelt sign. As expected the ride was rough consisting mostly of continuous moderate chop and occasional light turbulence. We leveled off at FL220 with no relief. We tried FL240 and the ride got worse. The controller said that the ride would stay that way and that the only smooth ride was FL310 and higher. I was so focused on finding a smooth ride that I totally forgot about the FL250 restr for 1 pack operation. I took the bait and requested FL310 in my quest to find a smooth ride. As advertised, the ride at FL310 was smooth. When the ride smoothed out, my mind also cleared out and I suddenly realized that we were restr to FL250. I immediately requested descent back down below FL250. We were at FL310 only for a short time. I did not intentionally violate the MEL restr. When I discovered my error we immediately descended to comply with the provisions in the MEL. One thing that could have helped me is a better placement of the 'inoperative placard.' the MEL calls for a placard describing the altitude restr to be placed to the left of the captain's navigation display. This places the placard partially under the glare shield and out of sight. If the placard were placed to the right of the captain's pfd above the standby altimeter this would have helped.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF F100 DISPATCHED WITH AN INOP AIR CONDITIONING PACK CLBS TO FL310 TO AVOID TURB IN VIOLATION OF MEL RESTRS.

Narrative: WHILE I WAS IN OPS, I LISTENED TO A CAPT DESCRIBE HIS ENCOUNTER WITH SEVERE TURB S OF DCA. I TALKED AT LENGTH WITH DISPATCH ABOUT WX RPTS FOR THE DCA AREA AND PIREPS. WITH THE DETERIORATING WX AND THE THREAT OF SERIOUS TURB ON MY MIND, I WENT OUT TO THE AIRPLANE TO PREPARE FLT FOR THE TRIP. OUR ACFT HAD A PACK INOP WHICH RESTR THE ALT TO FL250 AND WE WERE DISPATCHED AT FL220. THE RIDE WAS FORECAST TO BE BAD AT FL220 AND I KNEW FROM OUR INBOUND FLT THAT THE RIDE WAS IN FACT BAD. I TOOK TIME TO BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS ABOUT THE RIDE, INSURED THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT I WANTED THEM TO KEEP THEIR SEATS UNTIL I CALLED. DURING MY WELCOMING PA, I STRESSED TO THE PAX THAT THE RIDE WAS GOING TO BE BUMPY, THE FLT ATTENDANTS WOULD REMAIN SEATED, AND THAT IT WAS IMPERATIVE THAT THEY OBSERVE AND COMPLY WITH THE SEATBELT SIGN. AS EXPECTED THE RIDE WAS ROUGH CONSISTING MOSTLY OF CONTINUOUS MODERATE CHOP AND OCCASIONAL LIGHT TURB. WE LEVELED OFF AT FL220 WITH NO RELIEF. WE TRIED FL240 AND THE RIDE GOT WORSE. THE CTLR SAID THAT THE RIDE WOULD STAY THAT WAY AND THAT THE ONLY SMOOTH RIDE WAS FL310 AND HIGHER. I WAS SO FOCUSED ON FINDING A SMOOTH RIDE THAT I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE FL250 RESTR FOR 1 PACK OP. I TOOK THE BAIT AND REQUESTED FL310 IN MY QUEST TO FIND A SMOOTH RIDE. AS ADVERTISED, THE RIDE AT FL310 WAS SMOOTH. WHEN THE RIDE SMOOTHED OUT, MY MIND ALSO CLRED OUT AND I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT WE WERE RESTR TO FL250. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED DSCNT BACK DOWN BELOW FL250. WE WERE AT FL310 ONLY FOR A SHORT TIME. I DID NOT INTENTIONALLY VIOLATE THE MEL RESTR. WHEN I DISCOVERED MY ERROR WE IMMEDIATELY DSNDED TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISIONS IN THE MEL. ONE THING THAT COULD HAVE HELPED ME IS A BETTER PLACEMENT OF THE 'INOP PLACARD.' THE MEL CALLS FOR A PLACARD DESCRIBING THE ALT RESTR TO BE PLACED TO THE L OF THE CAPT'S NAV DISPLAY. THIS PLACES THE PLACARD PARTIALLY UNDER THE GLARE SHIELD AND OUT OF SIGHT. IF THE PLACARD WERE PLACED TO THE R OF THE CAPT'S PFD ABOVE THE STANDBY ALTIMETER THIS WOULD HAVE HELPED.

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.