Narrative:

Maintenance had disabled one of the ignition system to conduct a check. When the check was completed; one of the maintenance collars around the circuit breaker of an igniter was inadvertently left on; disabling that igniter. The airplane X was turned over to us in this condition. I failed to notice the disabled igniter; and the unairworthy condition of my flight(south); during my preflight of the flight deck. The first officer; still in his first yr at air carrier; did notice the disabled circuit breaker; but believed it to be part of a routinely disabled system. He did not recognize the unairworthy condition. I pushed back with an unairworthy aircraft because one half of at least one ignition system was inoperative as a result of the related circuit breaker being intentionally disabled by maintenance and then not returned to the functioning position after the check was over. The engine(south) started normally. I flew this aircraft for 2 legs with it in this condition. The captain; who accepted the aircraft from me once we returned to seattle; noticed what I had failed to detect.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF MD80 FAIL TO RECOGNIZE COLLARED AND TAGGED IGNITION CIRCUIT BREAKER THAT WAS THE RESULT OF AN INCOMPLETE MAINT PROC. FLY 2 LEGS IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONFIGN AS A RESULT.

Narrative: MAINT HAD DISABLED ONE OF THE IGNITION SYS TO CONDUCT A CHK. WHEN THE CHK WAS COMPLETED; ONE OF THE MAINT COLLARS AROUND THE CIRCUIT BREAKER OF AN IGNITER WAS INADVERTENTLY LEFT ON; DISABLING THAT IGNITER. THE AIRPLANE X WAS TURNED OVER TO US IN THIS CONDITION. I FAILED TO NOTICE THE DISABLED IGNITER; AND THE UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION OF MY FLT(S); DURING MY PREFLT OF THE FLT DECK. THE FO; STILL IN HIS FIRST YR AT ACR; DID NOTICE THE DISABLED CIRCUIT BREAKER; BUT BELIEVED IT TO BE PART OF A ROUTINELY DISABLED SYS. HE DID NOT RECOGNIZE THE UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION. I PUSHED BACK WITH AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT BECAUSE ONE HALF OF AT LEAST ONE IGNITION SYS WAS INOP AS A RESULT OF THE RELATED CIRCUIT BREAKER BEING INTENTIONALLY DISABLED BY MAINT AND THEN NOT RETURNED TO THE FUNCTIONING POS AFTER THE CHK WAS OVER. THE ENG(S) STARTED NORMALLY. I FLEW THIS ACFT FOR 2 LEGS WITH IT IN THIS CONDITION. THE CAPT; WHO ACCEPTED THE ACFT FROM ME ONCE WE RETURNED TO SEATTLE; NOTICED WHAT I HAD FAILED TO DETECT.

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.