Narrative:

When I arrived at the gate in ZZZ; the agent informed me that maintenance had been notified to meet the aircraft to take care of an MEL maintenance issue. I pulled the paperwork for the flight and; sure enough; the aircraft showed MEL xx-a; flight deck fuel quantity indicator (center tank) inoperative. The discrepancy list in the flight paperwork showed that originally MEL xx-B had been applied due to a gauge error; but that subsequently MEL xx-a had been applied due to a sending unit leak in the center tank. I gave maintenance control a call to confirm what we were doing; since I thought we wouldn't need an MEL maintenance form with that MEL; since it is applied to an empty tank. The release also stated the pushback was not allowed until the MEL maintenance form was verified by company maintenance. I was rudely informed that I should read the MEL; since it required the MEL maintenance form procedure regardless of tank quantity. Since the airplane wasn't in yet; I pulled the MEL from the online manual and read it again. My first impression had been correct; the MEL maintenance form procedure was required each leg for the xx-B; but not for the xx-a since the tank was required to be empty. There was a note for each that the deactivation of the fuel sending unit was required for both; but only the 'B' model required an MEL maintenance form. I called company maintenance back to clarify; and after looking at the MEL; he apologized and agreed that the MEL maintenance form was not required after all. We both agreed since air carrier Y maintenance was already there; we would do it anyway and just keep it simple. After the aircraft blocked in and we got on board I got really confused. The logbook was a mess. Initially; when the xx-B was applied someone forgot the control number on the placard; and a note on the original page referring to a new page was added to reflect verifying the control number that was missing from the first. Next was a separate write-up from a crew indicating that the special procedure for the MEL was not completed; and the quantity indicator circuit breaker on the P6 panel was not pulled and collared as required by the MEL. This was in ZZZ1 and was signed off as corrected by one of our mechanics; judging by the company employee number on the signoff. Following this were 2 subsequent pages detailing an apparent fuel stain (leak) from one of the gauge sending units in the center tank. These referenced MEL xx-a; but I didn't see that applied in the book anywhere. The placard indicated xx-a with a written note talking about a changed MEL; but no employee number or initials. It got even worse; reviewing the MEL procedures; we found the quantity circuit breaker in the logbook was not pulled and collared; as is required for both MEL's and the fuel summation unit was working as well. It had previously been signed off in ZZZ1 as completed after being discovered the first time! The center tank gauge indicated '0' and it should have been blank. Now I was really confused. Ultimately; I wrote up that I was unable to determine the actual status of the aircraft on a new log page; and I detailed what we saw on board. Air carrier Y maintenance was called back out; and after the traditional easter egg hunt we found the signoff for changing the MEL on the back of an unrelated page in the front of the old log pad! The mechanic pulled and collared the circuit breaker in accordance with the MEL special procedures; and verified the fuel summation unit was deactivated. We got the paperwork straightened out; and after over a 1 hour delay; accomplished our 36 min flight to ZZZ. I spent most of the quick flight with my head everyplace but the cockpit of the jet I was flying. I was mad at the way I was treated; and ultimately embarrassed it took so long to get it right. I sure get tired of apologizing to our passenger. Proper application of policy and procedures both in maintenance and operations; slow the operation down to give time for proper application.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 HAD THE COCKPIT CTR TANK FUEL INDICATOR DEFERRED AS INOP. CAPT RPTS THE LOGBOOK ENTRIES FOR THE DEFERRED ITEM WERE IN DISARRAY; AND MEL SPECIAL PROCS WERE NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE GATE IN ZZZ; THE AGENT INFORMED ME THAT MAINT HAD BEEN NOTIFIED TO MEET THE ACFT TO TAKE CARE OF AN MEL MAINT ISSUE. I PULLED THE PAPERWORK FOR THE FLT AND; SURE ENOUGH; THE ACFT SHOWED MEL XX-A; FLT DECK FUEL QUANTITY INDICATOR (CTR TANK) INOP. THE DISCREPANCY LIST IN THE FLT PAPERWORK SHOWED THAT ORIGINALLY MEL XX-B HAD BEEN APPLIED DUE TO A GAUGE ERROR; BUT THAT SUBSEQUENTLY MEL XX-A HAD BEEN APPLIED DUE TO A SENDING UNIT LEAK IN THE CTR TANK. I GAVE MAINT CTL A CALL TO CONFIRM WHAT WE WERE DOING; SINCE I THOUGHT WE WOULDN'T NEED AN MEL MAINT FORM WITH THAT MEL; SINCE IT IS APPLIED TO AN EMPTY TANK. THE RELEASE ALSO STATED THE PUSHBACK WAS NOT ALLOWED UNTIL THE MEL MAINT FORM WAS VERIFIED BY COMPANY MAINT. I WAS RUDELY INFORMED THAT I SHOULD READ THE MEL; SINCE IT REQUIRED THE MEL MAINT FORM PROC REGARDLESS OF TANK QUANTITY. SINCE THE AIRPLANE WASN'T IN YET; I PULLED THE MEL FROM THE ONLINE MANUAL AND READ IT AGAIN. MY FIRST IMPRESSION HAD BEEN CORRECT; THE MEL MAINT FORM PROC WAS REQUIRED EACH LEG FOR THE XX-B; BUT NOT FOR THE XX-A SINCE THE TANK WAS REQUIRED TO BE EMPTY. THERE WAS A NOTE FOR EACH THAT THE DEACTIVATION OF THE FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS REQUIRED FOR BOTH; BUT ONLY THE 'B' MODEL REQUIRED AN MEL MAINT FORM. I CALLED COMPANY MAINT BACK TO CLARIFY; AND AFTER LOOKING AT THE MEL; HE APOLOGIZED AND AGREED THAT THE MEL MAINT FORM WAS NOT REQUIRED AFTER ALL. WE BOTH AGREED SINCE ACR Y MAINT WAS ALREADY THERE; WE WOULD DO IT ANYWAY AND JUST KEEP IT SIMPLE. AFTER THE ACFT BLOCKED IN AND WE GOT ON BOARD I GOT REALLY CONFUSED. THE LOGBOOK WAS A MESS. INITIALLY; WHEN THE XX-B WAS APPLIED SOMEONE FORGOT THE CTL NUMBER ON THE PLACARD; AND A NOTE ON THE ORIGINAL PAGE REFERRING TO A NEW PAGE WAS ADDED TO REFLECT VERIFYING THE CTL NUMBER THAT WAS MISSING FROM THE FIRST. NEXT WAS A SEPARATE WRITE-UP FROM A CREW INDICATING THAT THE SPECIAL PROC FOR THE MEL WAS NOT COMPLETED; AND THE QUANTITY INDICATOR CIRCUIT BREAKER ON THE P6 PANEL WAS NOT PULLED AND COLLARED AS REQUIRED BY THE MEL. THIS WAS IN ZZZ1 AND WAS SIGNED OFF AS CORRECTED BY ONE OF OUR MECHS; JUDGING BY THE COMPANY EMPLOYEE NUMBER ON THE SIGNOFF. FOLLOWING THIS WERE 2 SUBSEQUENT PAGES DETAILING AN APPARENT FUEL STAIN (LEAK) FROM ONE OF THE GAUGE SENDING UNITS IN THE CTR TANK. THESE REFED MEL XX-A; BUT I DIDN'T SEE THAT APPLIED IN THE BOOK ANYWHERE. THE PLACARD INDICATED XX-A WITH A WRITTEN NOTE TALKING ABOUT A CHANGED MEL; BUT NO EMPLOYEE NUMBER OR INITIALS. IT GOT EVEN WORSE; REVIEWING THE MEL PROCS; WE FOUND THE QUANTITY CIRCUIT BREAKER IN THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT PULLED AND COLLARED; AS IS REQUIRED FOR BOTH MEL'S AND THE FUEL SUMMATION UNIT WAS WORKING AS WELL. IT HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SIGNED OFF IN ZZZ1 AS COMPLETED AFTER BEING DISCOVERED THE FIRST TIME! THE CTR TANK GAUGE INDICATED '0' AND IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN BLANK. NOW I WAS REALLY CONFUSED. ULTIMATELY; I WROTE UP THAT I WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE THE ACTUAL STATUS OF THE ACFT ON A NEW LOG PAGE; AND I DETAILED WHAT WE SAW ON BOARD. ACR Y MAINT WAS CALLED BACK OUT; AND AFTER THE TRADITIONAL EASTER EGG HUNT WE FOUND THE SIGNOFF FOR CHANGING THE MEL ON THE BACK OF AN UNRELATED PAGE IN THE FRONT OF THE OLD LOG PAD! THE MECH PULLED AND COLLARED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS; AND VERIFIED THE FUEL SUMMATION UNIT WAS DEACTIVATED. WE GOT THE PAPERWORK STRAIGHTENED OUT; AND AFTER OVER A 1 HR DELAY; ACCOMPLISHED OUR 36 MIN FLT TO ZZZ. I SPENT MOST OF THE QUICK FLT WITH MY HEAD EVERYPLACE BUT THE COCKPIT OF THE JET I WAS FLYING. I WAS MAD AT THE WAY I WAS TREATED; AND ULTIMATELY EMBARRASSED IT TOOK SO LONG TO GET IT RIGHT. I SURE GET TIRED OF APOLOGIZING TO OUR PAX. PROPER APPLICATION OF POLICY AND PROCS BOTH IN MAINT AND OPS; SLOW THE OP DOWN TO GIVE TIME FOR PROPER APPLICATION.

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.