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A B737-300 aircraft was released to service with an emergency exit light (eel) system incorrectly deferred under MEL procedures.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 729988 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200702 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : powerplant technician : airframe technician : fcc |
| ASRS Report | 729988 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : lead technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies |
| Independent Detector | other other : 2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : lighting performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : training |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
To begin with I would like to state that I'm not assigned to the terminal and that I was farmed in for that day. So at 1 min before departure I was notified that this aircraft had eel (emergency exit lighting) light problems. The lights in question were in the aft of the airplane. Not knowing how to defer the lights I asked one of the a&P's. An MEL was presented and I read as quickly as I could and thought this was a deferrable item. The mechanic brought up the page to do the deferred item and I put my file number on the page. After the plane took off I was notified by supervisor that I had to call and confirm what I had done. After I called maintenance operations I realized I had made an error trying to speed read the MEL in the dim light of the gate house. I also realized that no 2 lamps may be inoperative. The aircraft landed at its destination without incident much to my relief.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-300 ACFT WAS RELEASED TO SVC WITH AN EMER EXIT LIGHT (EEL) SYS INCORRECTLY DEFERRED UNDER MEL PROCS.
Narrative: TO BEGIN WITH I WOULD LIKE TO STATE THAT I'M NOT ASSIGNED TO THE TERMINAL AND THAT I WAS FARMED IN FOR THAT DAY. SO AT 1 MIN BEFORE DEP I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THIS ACFT HAD EEL (EMER EXIT LIGHTING) LIGHT PROBS. THE LIGHTS IN QUESTION WERE IN THE AFT OF THE AIRPLANE. NOT KNOWING HOW TO DEFER THE LIGHTS I ASKED ONE OF THE A&P'S. AN MEL WAS PRESENTED AND I READ AS QUICKLY AS I COULD AND THOUGHT THIS WAS A DEFERRABLE ITEM. THE MECH BROUGHT UP THE PAGE TO DO THE DEFERRED ITEM AND I PUT MY FILE NUMBER ON THE PAGE. AFTER THE PLANE TOOK OFF I WAS NOTIFIED BY SUPVR THAT I HAD TO CALL AND CONFIRM WHAT I HAD DONE. AFTER I CALLED MAINT OPS I REALIZED I HAD MADE AN ERROR TRYING TO SPEED READ THE MEL IN THE DIM LIGHT OF THE GATE HOUSE. I ALSO REALIZED THAT NO 2 LAMPS MAY BE INOP. THE ACFT LANDED AT ITS DEST WITHOUT INCIDENT MUCH TO MY RELIEF.
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.