Narrative:

Maintenance control changed the MEL number because both FMS's were now inoperative. Several times the captain mentioned that he wouldn't get my ACARS message with date/time group because he could no longer access the computer. Both captain and I thought that the computer system should then be MEL'ed since they couldn't turn on either FMS. The maintenance control manager said he would not MEL the computer system because it wasn't written to do so in the MEL. Maintenance also told me that 'this new MEL book was highly scrutinized for 6 months before it came out;' implying it was gospel. I told him it was possible there were still mistakes but maintenance wouldn't budge. I think that was a very insulting comment and is typical of how several maintenance control controllers and supervisors treat dispatchers. Captain and I stood our ground. I personally would not let that flight go if I thought we needed to show the computer system considered inoperative. I told operations supervisor on duty what the problem was and asked if he would call the chief pilot. He said I would have to file an extensive report if the flight ends up canceling because I wouldn't let it go without this MEL. I told him no problem. Ended up asking for the emb fleet manager's phone number. I conferenced the emb fleet manager on his cell phone with the captain and maintenance from maintenance control. The manager reminded me that the MEL book is actually a working document and that there should be a proviso for the inaccessibility of the computer to be added. Maintenance agreed to MEL the computer. As of XA42; the computer MEL still hasn't been issued. The captain said the reason it took so long for the new MEL to come across is because the maintenance person lectured him for 10 mins on why he didn't need this MEL. That seems very disrespectful to the crew and myself who were waiting for this MEL to come across.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DISPATCHER RPTS MAINT SUPVR'S RELUCTANCE TO PROVIDE APPROPRIATE MEL INFO FOR INOP SYS.

Narrative: MAINT CTL CHANGED THE MEL NUMBER BECAUSE BOTH FMS'S WERE NOW INOP. SEVERAL TIMES THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT HE WOULDN'T GET MY ACARS MESSAGE WITH DATE/TIME GROUP BECAUSE HE COULD NO LONGER ACCESS THE COMPUTER. BOTH CAPT AND I THOUGHT THAT THE COMPUTER SYS SHOULD THEN BE MEL'ED SINCE THEY COULDN'T TURN ON EITHER FMS. THE MAINT CTL MGR SAID HE WOULD NOT MEL THE COMPUTER SYS BECAUSE IT WASN'T WRITTEN TO DO SO IN THE MEL. MAINT ALSO TOLD ME THAT 'THIS NEW MEL BOOK WAS HIGHLY SCRUTINIZED FOR 6 MONTHS BEFORE IT CAME OUT;' IMPLYING IT WAS GOSPEL. I TOLD HIM IT WAS POSSIBLE THERE WERE STILL MISTAKES BUT MAINT WOULDN'T BUDGE. I THINK THAT WAS A VERY INSULTING COMMENT AND IS TYPICAL OF HOW SEVERAL MAINT CTL CTLRS AND SUPVRS TREAT DISPATCHERS. CAPT AND I STOOD OUR GROUND. I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT LET THAT FLT GO IF I THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO SHOW THE COMPUTER SYS CONSIDERED INOP. I TOLD OPS SUPVR ON DUTY WHAT THE PROB WAS AND ASKED IF HE WOULD CALL THE CHIEF PLT. HE SAID I WOULD HAVE TO FILE AN EXTENSIVE RPT IF THE FLT ENDS UP CANCELING BECAUSE I WOULDN'T LET IT GO WITHOUT THIS MEL. I TOLD HIM NO PROB. ENDED UP ASKING FOR THE EMB FLEET MGR'S PHONE NUMBER. I CONFERENCED THE EMB FLEET MGR ON HIS CELL PHONE WITH THE CAPT AND MAINT FROM MAINT CTL. THE MGR REMINDED ME THAT THE MEL BOOK IS ACTUALLY A WORKING DOCUMENT AND THAT THERE SHOULD BE A PROVISO FOR THE INACCESSIBILITY OF THE COMPUTER TO BE ADDED. MAINT AGREED TO MEL THE COMPUTER. AS OF XA42; THE COMPUTER MEL STILL HASN'T BEEN ISSUED. THE CAPT SAID THE REASON IT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE NEW MEL TO COME ACROSS IS BECAUSE THE MAINT PERSON LECTURED HIM FOR 10 MINS ON WHY HE DIDN'T NEED THIS MEL. THAT SEEMS VERY DISRESPECTFUL TO THE CREW AND MYSELF WHO WERE WAITING FOR THIS MEL TO COME ACROSS.

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.