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B737-300 captain is disappointed in air carrier's willingness to ignore MEL restrictions regarding dispatch of aircraft with inoperative yaw damper.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 665682 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200507 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : ord.airport |
| State Reference | IL |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Thunderstorm |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 22000 flight time type : 2500 |
| ASRS Report | 665682 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain other personnel other oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | inflight encounter : turbulence inflight encounter : weather maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
During preflight; aircraft papers indicated yaw damper inoperative. On the MEL card there were specific restrictions as conditions for flight. No turbulence greater than light and no gusty winds for approach and landing. The field conditions were moderate rain with heavy showers and gusty winds in the area and all runways very wet. There was a line of thunderstorms with several NWS advisories between ord and day with the line heading toward day. This aircraft should never have even been planned on this route and should not have even been planned to leave the ord area. The inbound captain advised us with the current field conditions the aircraft was 'squirrelly' on approach. I have never been so disappointed in the lack of regard for safety at air carrier as this incident demonstrated. Maintenance; dispatch; and management should be held accountable for violating the flight requirements of an FAA approved MEL card. If there is not satisfactory action taken; I will send a full written and verbal report to our FAA poi.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: B737-300 CAPT IS DISAPPOINTED IN ACR'S WILLINGNESS TO IGNORE MEL RESTRICTIONS REGARDING DISPATCH OF ACFT WITH INOP YAW DAMPER.
Narrative: DURING PREFLT; ACFT PAPERS INDICATED YAW DAMPER INOP. ON THE MEL CARD THERE WERE SPECIFIC RESTRICTIONS AS CONDITIONS FOR FLT. NO TURB GREATER THAN LIGHT AND NO GUSTY WINDS FOR APCH AND LNDG. THE FIELD CONDITIONS WERE MODERATE RAIN WITH HVY SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS IN THE AREA AND ALL RWYS VERY WET. THERE WAS A LINE OF TSTMS WITH SEVERAL NWS ADVISORIES BETWEEN ORD AND DAY WITH THE LINE HEADING TOWARD DAY. THIS ACFT SHOULD NEVER HAVE EVEN BEEN PLANNED ON THIS RTE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE EVEN BEEN PLANNED TO LEAVE THE ORD AREA. THE INBOUND CAPT ADVISED US WITH THE CURRENT FIELD CONDITIONS THE ACFT WAS 'SQUIRRELLY' ON APCH. I HAVE NEVER BEEN SO DISAPPOINTED IN THE LACK OF REGARD FOR SAFETY AT ACR AS THIS INCIDENT DEMONSTRATED. MAINT; DISPATCH; AND MANAGEMENT SHOULD BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR VIOLATING THE FLT REQUIREMENTS OF AN FAA APPROVED MEL CARD. IF THERE IS NOT SATISFACTORY ACTION TAKEN; I WILL SEND A FULL WRITTEN AND VERBAL RPT TO OUR FAA POI.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.