Narrative:

This report involves the dispatch and operation of a B747-200 aircraft in non compliance with the applicable MEL requirements. I was the captain assigned to operate a flight of a B747-200 freighter aircraft on one segment of an international flight. We arrived at the aircraft approximately 2 hours before our scheduled departure; the aircraft having arrived in that station 4 hours earlier. Upon inspection of the aircraft logbook and dispatch release; we found the aircraft was being dispatched with 3 significant deferred maintenance items. 2 of these items had previously been deferred prior to the aircraft arriving in this station; while the third item had been deferred as a result of a discrepancy entered into the aircraft log upon arrival. The items deferred are as follows with the appropriate MEL references: MEL APU; MEL autospoilers system; MEL thrust reversers JT9D engine. The thrust reverser discrepancy was the item deferred at that station. The deferred maintenance item was indicated in the aircraft log and the airworthiness release was signed by the maintenance personnel. During the course of our preflight; in addition to the normal duties; I discussed with my crew the particulars of operation with these deferred maintenance items. The operation without the APU is a significant abnormal procedure in the B747. The procedure for 'engine start with external air source' and 'xbleed start' from our B747 operations manual were reviewed and discussed. The MEL and dispatch deviation guide were reviewed for the requirements associated with the autospoiler system deferred. With regard to this item we reviewed and discussed the performance considerations and the procedures necessary in the event of a rejected takeoff and the manual operation of the spoilers. We also discussed the manual spoiler deployment that would also be required for our landing at the destination. The thrust reverser; #3 engine; was discussed regarding the actions necessary to provide symmetrical reverse in the event of a rejected takeoff and during landing. The aircraft was subsequently operated to the destination in what I would describe as an uneventful operation. Upon arrival at the destination was when I became aware that the deferred thrust reverser was not in compliance with the MEL specifications. The MEL specifies that the antiskid and autospoiler system must be fully operational in order to defer a thrust reverser. In the case of the thrust reverser item; the MEL list was not reviewed by myself or my crew. The failure to specifically reference the MEL for this item appears to be due to a number of reasons. At the time this item was being discussed; I had my attention diverted to an issue regarding our flight plan that required me to call and resolve this issue with the company dispatcher. In addition; I had operated the aircraft on numerous occasions with a thrust reverser inoperative and felt confident in my familiarity with this issue and had established that the thrust reverser had been deactivated. Of significance it appears; is the fact that even though there is a complimentary MEL requirement between the autospoiler system and the thrust reversers this is only mentioned in the thrust reverse MEL detail. There is no reference to the requirement for all thrust reversers to be operational in the MEL detail for the autospoiler system. Our review of the MEL and dispatch deviation guide with regard to the autospoiler deferral did not bring our attention to this requirement. In an effort to prevent errors with maintenance deferral procedures and possible non-compliance situations I would propose an MEL format requirement. Whenever there is a complimentary requirement between one or more items and/or system in the MEL this requirement must be indicated in all of the MEL references for each of the effected items and/or system.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH 2 DEFERRED ITEMS IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL. #3 THRUST REVERSER WAS DEFERRED AS INOP AND AUTOSPOILERS WERE ALSO DEFERRED AS INOP. WITH REVERSER INOP AUTOSPOILERS MUST WORK.

Narrative: THIS RPT INVOLVES THE DISPATCH AND OP OF A B747-200 ACFT IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE MEL REQUIREMENTS. I WAS THE CAPT ASSIGNED TO OPERATE A FLT OF A B747-200 FREIGHTER ACFT ON ONE SEGMENT OF AN INTL FLT. WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE OUR SCHEDULED DEP; THE ACFT HAVING ARRIVED IN THAT STATION 4 HRS EARLIER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND DISPATCH RELEASE; WE FOUND THE ACFT WAS BEING DISPATCHED WITH 3 SIGNIFICANT DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS. 2 OF THESE ITEMS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DEFERRED PRIOR TO THE ACFT ARRIVING IN THIS STATION; WHILE THE THIRD ITEM HAD BEEN DEFERRED AS A RESULT OF A DISCREPANCY ENTERED INTO THE ACFT LOG UPON ARR. THE ITEMS DEFERRED ARE AS FOLLOWS WITH THE APPROPRIATE MEL REFS: MEL APU; MEL AUTOSPOILERS SYS; MEL THRUST REVERSERS JT9D ENG. THE THRUST REVERSER DISCREPANCY WAS THE ITEM DEFERRED AT THAT STATION. THE DEFERRED MAINT ITEM WAS INDICATED IN THE ACFT LOG AND THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE WAS SIGNED BY THE MAINT PERSONNEL. DURING THE COURSE OF OUR PREFLT; IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL DUTIES; I DISCUSSED WITH MY CREW THE PARTICULARS OF OP WITH THESE DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS. THE OP WITHOUT THE APU IS A SIGNIFICANT ABNORMAL PROC IN THE B747. THE PROC FOR 'ENG START WITH EXTERNAL AIR SOURCE' AND 'XBLEED START' FROM OUR B747 OPS MANUAL WERE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. THE MEL AND DISPATCH DEV GUIDE WERE REVIEWED FOR THE REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AUTOSPOILER SYS DEFERRED. WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM WE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED THE PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS AND THE PROCS NECESSARY IN THE EVENT OF A REJECTED TKOF AND THE MANUAL OP OF THE SPOILERS. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE MANUAL SPOILER DEPLOYMENT THAT WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED FOR OUR LNDG AT THE DEST. THE THRUST REVERSER; #3 ENG; WAS DISCUSSED REGARDING THE ACTIONS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE SYMMETRICAL REVERSE IN THE EVENT OF A REJECTED TKOF AND DURING LNDG. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY OPERATED TO THE DEST IN WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS AN UNEVENTFUL OP. UPON ARR AT THE DEST WAS WHEN I BECAME AWARE THAT THE DEFERRED THRUST REVERSER WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEL SPECS. THE MEL SPECIFIES THAT THE ANTISKID AND AUTOSPOILER SYS MUST BE FULLY OPERATIONAL IN ORDER TO DEFER A THRUST REVERSER. IN THE CASE OF THE THRUST REVERSER ITEM; THE MEL LIST WAS NOT REVIEWED BY MYSELF OR MY CREW. THE FAILURE TO SPECIFICALLY REF THE MEL FOR THIS ITEM APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A NUMBER OF REASONS. AT THE TIME THIS ITEM WAS BEING DISCUSSED; I HAD MY ATTN DIVERTED TO AN ISSUE REGARDING OUR FLT PLAN THAT REQUIRED ME TO CALL AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH THE COMPANY DISPATCHER. IN ADDITION; I HAD OPERATED THE ACFT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITH A THRUST REVERSER INOP AND FELT CONFIDENT IN MY FAMILIARITY WITH THIS ISSUE AND HAD ESTABLISHED THAT THE THRUST REVERSER HAD BEEN DEACTIVATED. OF SIGNIFICANCE IT APPEARS; IS THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A COMPLIMENTARY MEL REQUIREMENT BTWN THE AUTOSPOILER SYS AND THE THRUST REVERSERS THIS IS ONLY MENTIONED IN THE THRUST REVERSE MEL DETAIL. THERE IS NO REF TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL THRUST REVERSERS TO BE OPERATIONAL IN THE MEL DETAIL FOR THE AUTOSPOILER SYS. OUR REVIEW OF THE MEL AND DISPATCH DEV GUIDE WITH REGARD TO THE AUTOSPOILER DEFERRAL DID NOT BRING OUR ATTN TO THIS REQUIREMENT. IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT ERRORS WITH MAINT DEFERRAL PROCS AND POSSIBLE NON-COMPLIANCE SITUATIONS I WOULD PROPOSE AN MEL FORMAT REQUIREMENT. WHENEVER THERE IS A COMPLIMENTARY REQUIREMENT BTWN ONE OR MORE ITEMS AND/OR SYS IN THE MEL THIS REQUIREMENT MUST BE INDICATED IN ALL OF THE MEL REFS FOR EACH OF THE EFFECTED ITEMS AND/OR SYS.

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.