A300 departs without maintenance release advising of rvsm restr due to deferred flight director.

Attributes
ACN	731605
Time
Date	200703
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : liph.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	731605
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	731606
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance ATC Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Ambiguous
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

The flight director was deferred and a phone conversation was held with dispatch. However; the maintenance release was never received due to ACARS going out. There was no other way to communicate with the company. Since I had talked to dispatch on the ground via maintenance cell phone; I thought we were in compliance with the fom. However; I forgot about rvsm airspace rules. There needs to be a procedure put in place if communications fail. Once we were airborne the ACARS started working.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 DEPARTS WITHOUT MAINT RELEASE ADVISING OF RVSM RESTR DUE TO DEFERRED FLT DIRECTOR.

Narrative: THE FLT DIRECTOR WAS DEFERRED AND A PHONE CONVERSATION WAS HELD WITH DISPATCH. HOWEVER; THE MAINT RELEASE WAS NEVER RECEIVED DUE TO ACARS GOING OUT. THERE WAS NO OTHER WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE COMPANY. SINCE I HAD TALKED TO DISPATCH ON THE GND VIA MAINT CELL PHONE; I THOUGHT WE WERE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FOM. HOWEVER; I FORGOT ABOUT RVSM AIRSPACE RULES. THERE NEEDS TO BE A PROC PUT IN PLACE IF COMS FAIL. ONCE WE WERE AIRBORNE THE ACARS STARTED WORKING.

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.