Narrative:

I am a maintenance controller for a cargo carrier. I received a call from the mechanic in ZZZ from his cell phone. It was hard to understand him due to background noise and his heavy accent. I was finally able to get out of the call that while attempting to start the #2 engine, they had a start valve problem and he asked if this required returning to the ramp. I said yes. The MEL would require returning to the ramp and performing the maintenance procedure and we would have to defer the #2 start valve system. Approximately 10 mins later I called the mechanic in ZZZ and asked if he was ready to do the deferral and perform. This requires 2 people, one to manually open and close the start valve, while the other communicates with the crew on the headset. He was waiting for the second person but was ready to do the deferral. I issued the deferral number under MEL. Approximately 20 mins later I get a call from dispatch saying the captain is on 'communication 1' radio and would like to talk to the A300 maintenance controller. I get on the radio and the captain says that there's a problem with the #2 engine start valve open light. I asked the captain that maybe we had applied the wrong MEL reference, and we should have used the MEL for the start valve open light. Up to this point nobody had told me if it was just an indication problem or start valve system problem or both. The captain said the original log page entry was already pulled before pushback (standard procedure). The captain then asked if we could do a deferral for the start valve light on the outbound page. She also said everything appeared normal after starting the #2 engine. I understood this to mean that the duct pressure had returned to normal after doing the manual start valve procedure per the MEL. I then referred to the MEL for the start valve light, which is basically the same as the manual start valve procedure only it has you verifying the valve is closed by inserting a 3/8

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300-600F WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH R ENG START VALVE AND THE START VALVE POS LIGHT DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: I AM A MAINT CTLR FOR A CARGO CARRIER. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM THE MECH IN ZZZ FROM HIS CELL PHONE. IT WAS HARD TO UNDERSTAND HIM DUE TO BACKGROUND NOISE AND HIS HVY ACCENT. I WAS FINALLY ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE CALL THAT WHILE ATTEMPTING TO START THE #2 ENG, THEY HAD A START VALVE PROB AND HE ASKED IF THIS REQUIRED RETURNING TO THE RAMP. I SAID YES. THE MEL WOULD REQUIRE RETURNING TO THE RAMP AND PERFORMING THE MAINT PROC AND WE WOULD HAVE TO DEFER THE #2 START VALVE SYS. APPROX 10 MINS LATER I CALLED THE MECH IN ZZZ AND ASKED IF HE WAS READY TO DO THE DEFERRAL AND PERFORM. THIS REQUIRES 2 PEOPLE, ONE TO MANUALLY OPEN AND CLOSE THE START VALVE, WHILE THE OTHER COMMUNICATES WITH THE CREW ON THE HEADSET. HE WAS WAITING FOR THE SECOND PERSON BUT WAS READY TO DO THE DEFERRAL. I ISSUED THE DEFERRAL NUMBER UNDER MEL. APPROX 20 MINS LATER I GET A CALL FROM DISPATCH SAYING THE CAPT IS ON 'COM 1' RADIO AND WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THE A300 MAINT CTLR. I GET ON THE RADIO AND THE CAPT SAYS THAT THERE'S A PROB WITH THE #2 ENG START VALVE OPEN LIGHT. I ASKED THE CAPT THAT MAYBE WE HAD APPLIED THE WRONG MEL REF, AND WE SHOULD HAVE USED THE MEL FOR THE START VALVE OPEN LIGHT. UP TO THIS POINT NOBODY HAD TOLD ME IF IT WAS JUST AN INDICATION PROB OR START VALVE SYS PROB OR BOTH. THE CAPT SAID THE ORIGINAL LOG PAGE ENTRY WAS ALREADY PULLED BEFORE PUSHBACK (STANDARD PROC). THE CAPT THEN ASKED IF WE COULD DO A DEFERRAL FOR THE START VALVE LIGHT ON THE OUTBOUND PAGE. SHE ALSO SAID EVERYTHING APPEARED NORMAL AFTER STARTING THE #2 ENG. I UNDERSTOOD THIS TO MEAN THAT THE DUCT PRESSURE HAD RETURNED TO NORMAL AFTER DOING THE MANUAL START VALVE PROC PER THE MEL. I THEN REFERRED TO THE MEL FOR THE START VALVE LIGHT, WHICH IS BASICALLY THE SAME AS THE MANUAL START VALVE PROC ONLY IT HAS YOU VERIFYING THE VALVE IS CLOSED BY INSERTING A 3/8

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.