EMB140 flight crew is concerned with flying aircraft with autoplt and yaw damper MEL'ed.

Attributes
ACN	699092
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 140 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	699092
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

Aircraft was dispatched with both yaw damper and autoplt MEL'ed. WX was broken with isolated thunderstorms en route. Although this is a legal MEL and could easily be justified in flying it under part 121 to a point of repair; to fly an aircraft with both these system MEL'ed is reducing a major buffer in the safety of flight. The embraer becomes quite a handful flying single engine with the yaw damper off. In addition; with the autoplt MEL'ed; one pilot is absolutely focused on the pfd and is taken completely out of the equation in resolving any problems or emergencys. Allowing either or both of these system to be routinely MEL'ed and flown on multiple legs for the entire duration of the MEL (which this one was; it expired that night) is creating an unnecessary hazard to the safety of our passenger.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB140 FLT CREW IS CONCERNED WITH FLYING ACFT WITH AUTOPLT AND YAW DAMPER MEL'ED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH BOTH YAW DAMPER AND AUTOPLT MEL'ED. WX WAS BROKEN WITH ISOLATED TSTMS ENRTE. ALTHOUGH THIS IS A LEGAL MEL AND COULD EASILY BE JUSTIFIED IN FLYING IT UNDER PART 121 TO A POINT OF REPAIR; TO FLY AN ACFT WITH BOTH THESE SYS MEL'ED IS REDUCING A MAJOR BUFFER IN THE SAFETY OF FLT. THE EMBRAER BECOMES QUITE A HANDFUL FLYING SINGLE ENG WITH THE YAW DAMPER OFF. IN ADDITION; WITH THE AUTOPLT MEL'ED; ONE PLT IS ABSOLUTELY FOCUSED ON THE PFD AND IS TAKEN COMPLETELY OUT OF THE EQUATION IN RESOLVING ANY PROBS OR EMERS. ALLOWING EITHER OR BOTH OF THESE SYS TO BE ROUTINELY MEL'ED AND FLOWN ON MULTIPLE LEGS FOR THE ENTIRE DURATION OF THE MEL (WHICH THIS ONE WAS; IT EXPIRED THAT NIGHT) IS CREATING AN UNNECESSARY HAZARD TO THE SAFETY OF OUR PAX.

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.