Narrative:

In operations, captain and first officer reviewed all paperwork while flight planning including current airplane technical status dispatch items: there were 2 items of note 1) deferral referencing the main gear steering system inoperative along with placard information about turning radius, etc. 2) deferral referencing pack fcv if 1 of the 2 pack flow control valves (fcv) are not in the commanded position. Status actions were described. We looked at the placard information for the flight crew which ran airworthiness directive including ensuring the 'mrd' be reviewed. Upon arrival at aircraft we reviewed the 'mrd.' at approximately XA43 hours, we received the following message from dispatch: problem. Just got a call from maintenance controller, the controller advised me that your ozone converters will not operate with the lower flow control valve inoperative. Included with the message was a message that was titled ozone converters defect: left ozone converter inoperative. Flight planning restrs: a) aircraft operation is restr to south of 50 degrees north latitude. B) aircraft operations is restr to north of 50 degrees south latitude. Flight crew: a) refer to fom for guidance with regards to ozone exposure. At this point I reviewed the 'mrd' again and there was no reference to this restr whatsoever in either the preflight paperwork or the 'mrd.' dd sent another message saying that after talking with B777 chief pilot and to manager there 'we see no problem' and to apply fom guidance if ozone encountered. First officer and I reviewed the fom including ozone symptoms. We replied that it was too late to track further south due to fuel constraints and the fact that we were entering oceanic airspace. I felt that by employing fom recommendations and recommendations of the fleet, that even if ozone was encountered that we could safely complete the trip, which is precisely what we did. There were no symptoms observed throughout the trip. My concern obviously is far implications due to possible improper documentation and notification to dd and the flight crew by maintenance which is why I am submitting this fsap. Supplemental information from acn 600856: aircraft was dispatched with left pack flow control/shutoff valve inoperative. We verified MEL cards in the logbook matched the deferred items on the 'mrd' prior to pushback. Approaching baban, just west of shannon en route to dogal and nat track B, we received a message from dispatch saying that per maintenance controller, aircraft was not to be dispatched on routing north of 50N, due ozone converter inoperative (associated with failed fcv valve), we had already received oceanic clearance with the northernmost waypoint of 54N, (lhr approximately 5130N). Approximately 15 mins later dispatch relayed a message that per B777 chief pilot, flight would be able to continue reference ozone buildup procedures from 'em/ir.' flight continued uneventfully to jfk. Supplemental information from acn 601516: air carrier X arrived at ZZZ nov/tue/03, with one priority 1 assigned task and an item that had been transmitted by the cockpit crew referring to a status message they had received during flight. The assigned task was to replace a door slide/raft. This task was undertaken by myself and a colleague which we completed without any problems or issues. The status message referred to a problem with the lower fcv on the left pack. This problem was tackled by 2 other colleagues who I work with on a regular basis, they being my crew chief and 2ND crew chief. After much troubleshooting and replacement of the lower fcv on the left pack they still could not resolve the problem and decided to defer the valve per MEL 21-51M, deferral #XXXX. I discussed the progress of the problem with the 2 technicians involved and was advised that they were unable to resolve the problem and had deferred the valve. I asked if it would cause any problems for dispatch and so on. I was told 'no the upper valve operates ok, and the right pack is ok.' I then released the aircraft back to service. The aircraft departed on time as flight X on nov/tue/03. We were then approached by technicians who had an identical problem on another B777, they were looking for some help to identify and locate the ozone converter that should be deactivated per MEL 21-51M. I then reviewed the MEL that was used for the aircraft just departed and foundthat for the lower fcv, left pack. The ozone converter should have been deactivated and actually had not. This now puts the aircraft in a 'no go' situation because the restrs for deactivating the ozone converter dictate that the aircraft should not fly north of latitude 50 degrees north or south of 50 degrees south, ZZZ is 51 degrees north. I immediately spoke to maintenance control who then contacted the crew of flight to discuss the matter with them. The captain apparently stated that if the system had failed to its current condition at this point in the flight, he would carry on to their destination. The aircraft arrived at jfk without any further problems, where the system was then correctly deferred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B777-200 CREW WAS ADVISED INFLT THAT A MEL'ED INOP OZONE CONVERTER REQUIRED OP S OF 50 N LATITUDE.

Narrative: IN OPS, CAPT AND FO REVIEWED ALL PAPERWORK WHILE FLT PLANNING INCLUDING CURRENT AIRPLANE TECHNICAL STATUS DISPATCH ITEMS: THERE WERE 2 ITEMS OF NOTE 1) DEFERRAL REFING THE MAIN GEAR STEERING SYS INOP ALONG WITH PLACARD INFO ABOUT TURNING RADIUS, ETC. 2) DEFERRAL REFING PACK FCV IF 1 OF THE 2 PACK FLOW CTL VALVES (FCV) ARE NOT IN THE COMMANDED POS. STATUS ACTIONS WERE DESCRIBED. WE LOOKED AT THE PLACARD INFO FOR THE FLT CREW WHICH RAN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INCLUDING ENSURING THE 'MRD' BE REVIEWED. UPON ARR AT ACFT WE REVIEWED THE 'MRD.' AT APPROX XA43 HRS, WE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH: PROB. JUST GOT A CALL FROM MAINT CTLR, THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT YOUR OZONE CONVERTERS WILL NOT OPERATE WITH THE LOWER FLOW CTL VALVE INOP. INCLUDED WITH THE MESSAGE WAS A MESSAGE THAT WAS TITLED OZONE CONVERTERS DEFECT: L OZONE CONVERTER INOP. FLT PLANNING RESTRS: A) ACFT OP IS RESTR TO S OF 50 DEGS N LATITUDE. B) ACFT OPS IS RESTR TO N OF 50 DEGS S LATITUDE. FLT CREW: A) REFER TO FOM FOR GUIDANCE WITH REGARDS TO OZONE EXPOSURE. AT THIS POINT I REVIEWED THE 'MRD' AGAIN AND THERE WAS NO REF TO THIS RESTR WHATSOEVER IN EITHER THE PREFLT PAPERWORK OR THE 'MRD.' DD SENT ANOTHER MESSAGE SAYING THAT AFTER TALKING WITH B777 CHIEF PLT AND TO MGR THERE 'WE SEE NO PROB' AND TO APPLY FOM GUIDANCE IF OZONE ENCOUNTERED. FO AND I REVIEWED THE FOM INCLUDING OZONE SYMPTOMS. WE REPLIED THAT IT WAS TOO LATE TO TRACK FURTHER S DUE TO FUEL CONSTRAINTS AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ENTERING OCEANIC AIRSPACE. I FELT THAT BY EMPLOYING FOM RECOMMENDATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FLEET, THAT EVEN IF OZONE WAS ENCOUNTERED THAT WE COULD SAFELY COMPLETE THE TRIP, WHICH IS PRECISELY WHAT WE DID. THERE WERE NO SYMPTOMS OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE TRIP. MY CONCERN OBVIOUSLY IS FAR IMPLICATIONS DUE TO POSSIBLE IMPROPER DOCUMENTATION AND NOTIFICATION TO DD AND THE FLT CREW BY MAINT WHICH IS WHY I AM SUBMITTING THIS FSAP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 600856: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH L PACK FLOW CTL/SHUTOFF VALVE INOP. WE VERIFIED MEL CARDS IN THE LOGBOOK MATCHED THE DEFERRED ITEMS ON THE 'MRD' PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. APCHING BABAN, JUST W OF SHANNON ENRTE TO DOGAL AND NAT TRACK B, WE RECEIVED A MESSAGE FROM DISPATCH SAYING THAT PER MAINT CTLR, ACFT WAS NOT TO BE DISPATCHED ON ROUTING N OF 50N, DUE OZONE CONVERTER INOP (ASSOCIATED WITH FAILED FCV VALVE), WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED OCEANIC CLRNC WITH THE NORTHERNMOST WAYPOINT OF 54N, (LHR APPROX 5130N). APPROX 15 MINS LATER DISPATCH RELAYED A MESSAGE THAT PER B777 CHIEF PLT, FLT WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTINUE REF OZONE BUILDUP PROCS FROM 'EM/IR.' FLT CONTINUED UNEVENTFULLY TO JFK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 601516: ACR X ARRIVED AT ZZZ NOV/TUE/03, WITH ONE PRIORITY 1 ASSIGNED TASK AND AN ITEM THAT HAD BEEN XMITTED BY THE COCKPIT CREW REFERRING TO A STATUS MESSAGE THEY HAD RECEIVED DURING FLT. THE ASSIGNED TASK WAS TO REPLACE A DOOR SLIDE/RAFT. THIS TASK WAS UNDERTAKEN BY MYSELF AND A COLLEAGUE WHICH WE COMPLETED WITHOUT ANY PROBS OR ISSUES. THE STATUS MESSAGE REFERRED TO A PROB WITH THE LOWER FCV ON THE L PACK. THIS PROB WAS TACKLED BY 2 OTHER COLLEAGUES WHO I WORK WITH ON A REGULAR BASIS, THEY BEING MY CREW CHIEF AND 2ND CREW CHIEF. AFTER MUCH TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPLACEMENT OF THE LOWER FCV ON THE L PACK THEY STILL COULD NOT RESOLVE THE PROB AND DECIDED TO DEFER THE VALVE PER MEL 21-51M, DEFERRAL #XXXX. I DISCUSSED THE PROGRESS OF THE PROB WITH THE 2 TECHNICIANS INVOLVED AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO RESOLVE THE PROB AND HAD DEFERRED THE VALVE. I ASKED IF IT WOULD CAUSE ANY PROBS FOR DISPATCH AND SO ON. I WAS TOLD 'NO THE UPPER VALVE OPERATES OK, AND THE R PACK IS OK.' I THEN RELEASED THE ACFT BACK TO SVC. THE ACFT DEPARTED ON TIME AS FLT X ON NOV/TUE/03. WE WERE THEN APCHED BY TECHNICIANS WHO HAD AN IDENTICAL PROB ON ANOTHER B777, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SOME HELP TO IDENT AND LOCATE THE OZONE CONVERTER THAT SHOULD BE DEACTIVATED PER MEL 21-51M. I THEN REVIEWED THE MEL THAT WAS USED FOR THE ACFT JUST DEPARTED AND FOUNDTHAT FOR THE LOWER FCV, L PACK. THE OZONE CONVERTER SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEACTIVATED AND ACTUALLY HAD NOT. THIS NOW PUTS THE ACFT IN A 'NO GO' SIT BECAUSE THE RESTRS FOR DEACTIVATING THE OZONE CONVERTER DICTATE THAT THE ACFT SHOULD NOT FLY N OF LATITUDE 50 DEGS N OR S OF 50 DEGS S, ZZZ IS 51 DEGS N. I IMMEDIATELY SPOKE TO MAINT CTL WHO THEN CONTACTED THE CREW OF FLT TO DISCUSS THE MATTER WITH THEM. THE CAPT APPARENTLY STATED THAT IF THE SYS HAD FAILED TO ITS CURRENT CONDITION AT THIS POINT IN THE FLT, HE WOULD CARRY ON TO THEIR DEST. THE ACFT ARRIVED AT JFK WITHOUT ANY FURTHER PROBS, WHERE THE SYS WAS THEN CORRECTLY DEFERRED.

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.