Narrative:

Aircraft originally operated with a placard. Prior to filing the release; placard was removed. The same captain contacted dispatch that brought the aircraft in and said the MEL was removed; but not repaired. I did not know there was a previous placard on the aircraft since it was not in the computer at release time. I asked the previous dispatcher what happened. He said the placard was reportedly removed at ZZZ prior to flight 1 departing ZZZ because it was considered a no-fix/no-fly the previous night at ZZZ. I contacted maintenance control to find out if the aircraft was repaired. They called me back and said it was not. They had to get with ZZZ maintenance to find out what happened. At shift change; I noticed the placard was back on the aircraft without my initials; and the aircraft was released without a placard. I called to find out how the placard had been put back on the aircraft without my approval; or without any notification. He said it should not have been removed; so he put it back on with the dispatch initials of the previous day. This means the captain has a release with no placard or notification. When my shift was over; we were still waiting to see if the aircraft was supposed to leave ZZZ at all that morning. I have no details to that end. Dispatch must be notified for any placard that requires a dispatch approval. Once a placard is removed; there is no provision; to my knowledge; that a maintenance control person can reissue a placard with yesterday's dispatch initials. If he can; the current dispatcher will have no knowledge the flight has a placard; except for an alert after the fact. In this case; the captain was the same one that brought the aircraft in from YYY. If it had been a new captain; I would not have received the information to pursue the situation. He knew that aircraft was not repaired. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated; as the dispatcher; he found out the original MEL and placard was for the aft cargo pit flooring issue that did not allow use of that compartment. Because of the no fix-no fly MEL; maintenance control thought the aircraft had been repaired overnight. Although maintenance can defer under a no fix-no fly MEL category with time constraints; dispatch has to review the MEL procedures and consider broader issues of weather; weight restrictions; fuel load; cg of the aircraft; icing conditions and passenger loads before a no fix-no fly MEL category can be accepted for a maintenance release. Reporter also stated he was thankful for the captain being aware and questioning the inaccurate aircraft release which raised the issue of maintenance control behavior.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DISPATCHER ISSUING A NEW MAINT RELEASE IS ASKED BY AN MD80 CAPTAIN WHY THE MEL AND PLACARD WAS REMOVED; BUT NOT REPAIRED.

Narrative: ACFT ORIGINALLY OPERATED WITH A PLACARD. PRIOR TO FILING THE RELEASE; PLACARD WAS REMOVED. THE SAME CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCH THAT BROUGHT THE ACFT IN AND SAID THE MEL WAS REMOVED; BUT NOT REPAIRED. I DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A PREVIOUS PLACARD ON THE ACFT SINCE IT WAS NOT IN THE COMPUTER AT RELEASE TIME. I ASKED THE PREVIOUS DISPATCHER WHAT HAPPENED. HE SAID THE PLACARD WAS REPORTEDLY REMOVED AT ZZZ PRIOR TO FLT 1 DEPARTING ZZZ BECAUSE IT WAS CONSIDERED A NO-FIX/NO-FLY THE PREVIOUS NIGHT AT ZZZ. I CONTACTED MAINT CTL TO FIND OUT IF THE ACFT WAS REPAIRED. THEY CALLED ME BACK AND SAID IT WAS NOT. THEY HAD TO GET WITH ZZZ MAINT TO FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. AT SHIFT CHANGE; I NOTICED THE PLACARD WAS BACK ON THE ACFT WITHOUT MY INITIALS; AND THE ACFT WAS RELEASED WITHOUT A PLACARD. I CALLED TO FIND OUT HOW THE PLACARD HAD BEEN PUT BACK ON THE ACFT WITHOUT MY APPROVAL; OR WITHOUT ANY NOTIFICATION. HE SAID IT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REMOVED; SO HE PUT IT BACK ON WITH THE DISPATCH INITIALS OF THE PREVIOUS DAY. THIS MEANS THE CAPT HAS A RELEASE WITH NO PLACARD OR NOTIFICATION. WHEN MY SHIFT WAS OVER; WE WERE STILL WAITING TO SEE IF THE ACFT WAS SUPPOSED TO LEAVE ZZZ AT ALL THAT MORNING. I HAVE NO DETAILS TO THAT END. DISPATCH MUST BE NOTIFIED FOR ANY PLACARD THAT REQUIRES A DISPATCH APPROVAL. ONCE A PLACARD IS REMOVED; THERE IS NO PROVISION; TO MY KNOWLEDGE; THAT A MAINT CTL PERSON CAN REISSUE A PLACARD WITH YESTERDAY'S DISPATCH INITIALS. IF HE CAN; THE CURRENT DISPATCHER WILL HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE THE FLT HAS A PLACARD; EXCEPT FOR AN ALERT AFTER THE FACT. IN THIS CASE; THE CAPT WAS THE SAME ONE THAT BROUGHT THE ACFT IN FROM YYY. IF IT HAD BEEN A NEW CAPT; I WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED THE INFO TO PURSUE THE SITUATION. HE KNEW THAT ACFT WAS NOT REPAIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED; AS THE DISPATCHER; HE FOUND OUT THE ORIGINAL MEL AND PLACARD WAS FOR THE AFT CARGO PIT FLOORING ISSUE THAT DID NOT ALLOW USE OF THAT COMPARTMENT. BECAUSE OF THE NO FIX-NO FLY MEL; MAINT CONTROL THOUGHT THE ACFT HAD BEEN REPAIRED OVERNIGHT. ALTHOUGH MAINT CAN DEFER UNDER A NO FIX-NO FLY MEL CATEGORY WITH TIME CONSTRAINTS; DISPATCH HAS TO REVIEW THE MEL PROCEDURES AND CONSIDER BROADER ISSUES OF WEATHER; WEIGHT RESTRICTIONS; FUEL LOAD; CG OF THE ACFT; ICING CONDITIONS AND PASSENGER LOADS BEFORE A NO FIX-NO FLY MEL CATEGORY CAN BE ACCEPTED FOR A MAINT RELEASE. REPORTER ALSO STATED HE WAS THANKFUL FOR THE CAPTAIN BEING AWARE AND QUESTIONING THE INACCURATE ACFT RELEASE WHICH RAISED THE ISSUE OF MAINT CONTROL BEHAVIOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.