Narrative:

B767 maintenance technician called to request MEL placard. I looked at the planned landing weight for the flight and calculated it to be below 257400 pounds which was the restr for flaps 25 degrees. I approved the placard. Upon looking at the MEL description further and talking to maintenance technician, B767 fleet manager, and operational engineering personnel, I could not get a good definition of the restr of in-flight gross weights. By this time the flight was already in the air. Later in the day the aircraft was scheduled to fly ZZZ1-ZZZ2. I advised the equipment coordinator that I would not release that flight until I received an official clarification of the gross weight restr. Aircraft was eventually taken OTS. An official definition of the intent of the MEL is required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER, NOT FULLY UNDERSTANDING AN MEL WT RESTR, MISTAKENLY RELEASED A B767 WITH A RESTRICTING MEL ITEM.

Narrative: B767 MAINT TECHNICIAN CALLED TO REQUEST MEL PLACARD. I LOOKED AT THE PLANNED LNDG WT FOR THE FLT AND CALCULATED IT TO BE BELOW 257400 LBS WHICH WAS THE RESTR FOR FLAPS 25 DEGS. I APPROVED THE PLACARD. UPON LOOKING AT THE MEL DESCRIPTION FURTHER AND TALKING TO MAINT TECHNICIAN, B767 FLEET MGR, AND OPERATIONAL ENGINEERING PERSONNEL, I COULD NOT GET A GOOD DEFINITION OF THE RESTR OF INFLT GROSS WTS. BY THIS TIME THE FLT WAS ALREADY IN THE AIR. LATER IN THE DAY THE ACFT WAS SCHEDULED TO FLY ZZZ1-ZZZ2. I ADVISED THE EQUIP COORDINATOR THAT I WOULD NOT RELEASE THAT FLT UNTIL I RECEIVED AN OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION OF THE GROSS WT RESTR. ACFT WAS EVENTUALLY TAKEN OTS. AN OFFICIAL DEFINITION OF THE INTENT OF THE MEL IS REQUIRED.

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.