Narrative:

Upon arriving at aircraft for morning first flight of the day; I started APU and applied power normally. I noticed several unusual messages on the screen; our stby instrument was acting weird; and our ACARS was not working. From experience I went ahead and shut down all electrical power and reestablish power. Some of the problems corrected themselves; but not all. I once again removed power and turned APU generator back on -- just then electrical power was lost; now only on batt power. Both left and right 'automatic xfer fail' lights and caution messages appeared. APU power or ground power would not be accepted by aircraft. After calling maintenance; they suggested starting engines and applying engine gen power. Per maintenance's direction deferred a relay that seemed to be consistent with our problem (once away from the heat of the battle in-flight; I was not convinced that this MEL applied to our problem). All seemed ok. After pushback I decided to confer with our quick reference guide in our QRH for 'AC 1 and 2 automatic xfer fail.' this chart indicated our situation as a 'no go.' I once again confirmed with maintenance that this was legal and ok per our MEL despite the QRH chart. They said yes we were legal; we conformed to the MEL and QRH just as a reference.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter contacted maintenance controller and was advised to power airplane with engines. This was accomplished but still had AC 1 and 2 automatic xfer fail lights. Maintenance controller advised reporter this was caused by a relay that could be deferred. Later; the reporter; feeling uneasy about this deferral; checked the QRH and found it was a 'no go' item.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE AC AUTO XFER RELAY DEFERRED AS INOP IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL AND QRH.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING AT ACFT FOR MORNING FIRST FLT OF THE DAY; I STARTED APU AND APPLIED POWER NORMALLY. I NOTICED SEVERAL UNUSUAL MESSAGES ON THE SCREEN; OUR STBY INSTRUMENT WAS ACTING WEIRD; AND OUR ACARS WAS NOT WORKING. FROM EXPERIENCE I WENT AHEAD AND SHUT DOWN ALL ELECTRICAL POWER AND REESTABLISH POWER. SOME OF THE PROBLEMS CORRECTED THEMSELVES; BUT NOT ALL. I ONCE AGAIN REMOVED POWER AND TURNED APU GENERATOR BACK ON -- JUST THEN ELECTRICAL POWER WAS LOST; NOW ONLY ON BATT POWER. BOTH L AND R 'AUTO XFER FAIL' LIGHTS AND CAUTION MESSAGES APPEARED. APU POWER OR GND POWER WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTED BY ACFT. AFTER CALLING MAINT; THEY SUGGESTED STARTING ENGS AND APPLYING ENG GEN POWER. PER MAINT'S DIRECTION DEFERRED A RELAY THAT SEEMED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH OUR PROBLEM (ONCE AWAY FROM THE HEAT OF THE BATTLE INFLT; I WAS NOT CONVINCED THAT THIS MEL APPLIED TO OUR PROBLEM). ALL SEEMED OK. AFTER PUSHBACK I DECIDED TO CONFER WITH OUR QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE IN OUR QRH FOR 'AC 1 AND 2 AUTO XFER FAIL.' THIS CHART INDICATED OUR SITUATION AS A 'NO GO.' I ONCE AGAIN CONFIRMED WITH MAINT THAT THIS WAS LEGAL AND OK PER OUR MEL DESPITE THE QRH CHART. THEY SAID YES WE WERE LEGAL; WE CONFORMED TO THE MEL AND QRH JUST AS A REFERENCE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR CONTACTED MAINT CTLR AND WAS ADVISED TO POWER AIRPLANE WITH ENGS. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BUT STILL HAD AC 1 AND 2 AUTO XFER FAIL LIGHTS. MAINT CTLR ADVISED RPTR THIS WAS CAUSED BY A RELAY THAT COULD BE DEFERRED. LATER; THE RPTR; FEELING UNEASY ABOUT THIS DEFERRAL; CHKED THE QRH AND FOUND IT WAS A 'NO GO' ITEM.

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.