Narrative:

I had looked up aircraft write-ups on computer in operations prior to going to the gate. Upon start of preflight checks, I looked for the aircraft logbook. I didn't know the captain had it. I called maintenance, they said they would look for it. I went and did exterior inspection. I came back and quickly looked through logbook and failed to notice that the autoplt was placarded with a yellow placard. Maintenance had not signed off the checks required to be done according to MEL before the flight. I noticed this fact during flight. Supplemental information from acn 602640: departed gate without required maintenance inspections (as had the previous flight) per MEL for 1 channel of autoplt inoperative. I feel the recent (over) emphasis from the top of the flight department on 'capts take ownership of the departure equation' is a contributing factor to this, as well as past and potential future such misdirection of attention. This is especially true when coupled with the time pressure to 'close the door.' I believe our very high aircraft damage rate needs to be addressed as our first, foremost, and possibly only emphasis at this juncture.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200 CREW DEPARTED WITH 1 CHANNEL OF THE AUTOPLT INOP PER THE MEL. REQUIRED MAINT INSPECTIONS MANDATED BY THE MEL WERE NOT DONE.

Narrative: I HAD LOOKED UP ACFT WRITE-UPS ON COMPUTER IN OPS PRIOR TO GOING TO THE GATE. UPON START OF PREFLT CHKS, I LOOKED FOR THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I DIDN'T KNOW THE CAPT HAD IT. I CALLED MAINT, THEY SAID THEY WOULD LOOK FOR IT. I WENT AND DID EXTERIOR INSPECTION. I CAME BACK AND QUICKLY LOOKED THROUGH LOGBOOK AND FAILED TO NOTICE THAT THE AUTOPLT WAS PLACARDED WITH A YELLOW PLACARD. MAINT HAD NOT SIGNED OFF THE CHKS REQUIRED TO BE DONE ACCORDING TO MEL BEFORE THE FLT. I NOTICED THIS FACT DURING FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 602640: DEPARTED GATE WITHOUT REQUIRED MAINT INSPECTIONS (AS HAD THE PREVIOUS FLT) PER MEL FOR 1 CHANNEL OF AUTOPLT INOP. I FEEL THE RECENT (OVER) EMPHASIS FROM THE TOP OF THE FLT DEPT ON 'CAPTS TAKE OWNERSHIP OF THE DEP EQUATION' IS A CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THIS, AS WELL AS PAST AND POTENTIAL FUTURE SUCH MISDIRECTION OF ATTN. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WHEN COUPLED WITH THE TIME PRESSURE TO 'CLOSE THE DOOR.' I BELIEVE OUR VERY HIGH ACFT DAMAGE RATE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED AS OUR FIRST, FOREMOST, AND POSSIBLY ONLY EMPHASIS AT THIS JUNCTURE.

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.