A B757-200 with autothrottles deferred crew noted the thrust management computer was also not workin...

Attributes
ACN	602174
Time
Date	200312
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 20000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	602174
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
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Situations
Publication	Minimum Equip List

Narrative:

The autothrottles were deferred and we spoke with the mechanic who told us that all the items in the MEL had been complied with regarding the deferral. We went over the actions that he took and verified that all the correct procedures were followed according to the MEL paperwork, and they were. We used manual setting for takeoff and had a normal departure. En route after looking in the flight manual we realized that the tmc (thrust management computer) was not operating, but since the circuit breaker was pulled for the servo it seemed somewhat logical that this could be possible. After further discussion and research we concluded that the write-up and the actual problems didn't match up. Write-up said we were supposed to have normal EICAS readings, but didn't in regard to tmc readings. After landing I called maintenance and spoke with someone who was aware of the MEL and he verified with me that what was done in the write-up and actions was correct according to the MEL written procedures. He then went on to state that if we wanted the tmc to come back online we would have had to recycle the circuit breaker for the servo after starting engines and then pull and recap the circuit breaker. That piece is not written in the MEL description of things to accomplish. Maintenance controller said that he had been trying to have the MEL procedure changed but that it had not happened yet. The problem is that we flew the aircraft with an inoperative tmc but could have had use of it and there was no comment in the MEL to recycle the circuit breaker to make it work.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 WITH AUTOTHROTTLES DEFERRED CREW NOTED THE THRUST MGMNT COMPUTER WAS ALSO NOT WORKING. THE STEP TO REACTIVATE THRUST COMPUTER WAS NOT IN THE MEL PROCS.

Narrative: THE AUTOTHROTTLES WERE DEFERRED AND WE SPOKE WITH THE MECH WHO TOLD US THAT ALL THE ITEMS IN THE MEL HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH REGARDING THE DEFERRAL. WE WENT OVER THE ACTIONS THAT HE TOOK AND VERIFIED THAT ALL THE CORRECT PROCS WERE FOLLOWED ACCORDING TO THE MEL PAPERWORK, AND THEY WERE. WE USED MANUAL SETTING FOR TKOF AND HAD A NORMAL DEP. ENRTE AFTER LOOKING IN THE FLT MANUAL WE REALIZED THAT THE TMC (THRUST MGMNT COMPUTER) WAS NOT OPERATING, BUT SINCE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER WAS PULLED FOR THE SERVO IT SEEMED SOMEWHAT LOGICAL THAT THIS COULD BE POSSIBLE. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION AND RESEARCH WE CONCLUDED THAT THE WRITE-UP AND THE ACTUAL PROBS DIDN'T MATCH UP. WRITE-UP SAID WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE NORMAL EICAS READINGS, BUT DIDN'T IN REGARD TO TMC READINGS. AFTER LNDG I CALLED MAINT AND SPOKE WITH SOMEONE WHO WAS AWARE OF THE MEL AND HE VERIFIED WITH ME THAT WHAT WAS DONE IN THE WRITE-UP AND ACTIONS WAS CORRECT ACCORDING TO THE MEL WRITTEN PROCS. HE THEN WENT ON TO STATE THAT IF WE WANTED THE TMC TO COME BACK ONLINE WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO RECYCLE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE SERVO AFTER STARTING ENGS AND THEN PULL AND RECAP THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. THAT PIECE IS NOT WRITTEN IN THE MEL DESCRIPTION OF THINGS TO ACCOMPLISH. MAINT CTLR SAID THAT HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO HAVE THE MEL PROC CHANGED BUT THAT IT HAD NOT HAPPENED YET. THE PROB IS THAT WE FLEW THE ACFT WITH AN INOP TMC BUT COULD HAVE HAD USE OF IT AND THERE WAS NO COMMENT IN THE MEL TO RECYCLE THE CIRCUIT BREAKER TO MAKE IT WORK.

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.

A B757-200 with autothrottles deferred crew noted the thrust management computer was also not working. The step to reactivate thrust computer was not in the MEL procedures.