Widebody transport crew had the 'hydraulic automatic system controller' MEL'ed inoperative. Later, the #3 hydraulic system pressure gauge became inoperative. Maintenance deferred it per the MEL. The first MEL requires operative hydraulic pressure gauges.

Home

Browse by month

Random

Latest

About

Contact

Attributes
ACN	606885
Time
Date	200401
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ind.airport
State Reference	IN
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Snow
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody Transport
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : takeoff roll ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	606885
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : hyd pressure indicators other other : 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Company
Situations
Publication	MEL

Narrative:

We originally were dispatched with 1 MEL: automatic system controller for the hydraulic system was inoperative. After engine start, the manual hydraulic check failed because #3 hydraulic pressure gauge was inoperative. We pulled back into the chocks. Maintenance personnel MEL'ed the pressure gauge. We got time and initials from the dispatch and pressed on to ord. We were told by ord maintenance that we were illegal for the flight because automatic controller inoperative requires pressure gauges to work properly. Time from reviewing first MEL to second MEL was about 2 hours. We just forgot about the limitation. We were about 10 hours into our duty day at XA00 aml, and were just too tired to remember the listed limitations in the first MEL. Also, the second MEL (pressure gauge) did not list automatic controller as a required operational item, but it should have.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB CREW HAD THE 'HYD AUTO SYS CONTROLLER' MEL'ED INOP. LATER, THE #3 HYD SYS PRESSURE GAUGE BECAME INOP. MAINT DEFERRED IT PER THE MEL. THE FIRST MEL REQUIRES OPERATIVE HYD PRESSURE GAUGES.

Narrative: WE ORIGINALLY WERE DISPATCHED WITH 1 MEL: AUTO SYS CONTROLLER FOR THE HYD SYS WAS INOP. AFTER ENG START, THE MANUAL HYD CHK FAILED BECAUSE #3 HYD PRESSURE GAUGE WAS INOP. WE PULLED BACK INTO THE CHOCKS. MAINT PERSONNEL MEL'ED THE PRESSURE GAUGE. WE GOT TIME AND INITIALS FROM THE DISPATCH AND PRESSED ON TO ORD. WE WERE TOLD BY ORD MAINT THAT WE WERE ILLEGAL FOR THE FLT BECAUSE AUTO CONTROLLER INOP REQUIRES PRESSURE GAUGES TO WORK PROPERLY. TIME FROM REVIEWING FIRST MEL TO SECOND MEL WAS ABOUT 2 HRS. WE JUST FORGOT ABOUT THE LIMITATION. WE WERE ABOUT 10 HRS INTO OUR DUTY DAY AT XA00 AML, AND WERE JUST TOO TIRED TO REMEMBER THE LISTED LIMITATIONS IN THE FIRST MEL. ALSO, THE SECOND MEL (PRESSURE GAUGE) DID NOT LIST AUTO CONTROLLER AS A REQUIRED OPERATIONAL ITEM, BUT IT SHOULD HAVE.

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.