Narrative:

Upon reviewing the paperwork for flight X; noted that MEL 34-60-01-1-1 was listed. We stopped by the mechanic's office to view MEL. Arrived at aircraft and after first officer did his initial preflight (I was outside doing my preflight). He was trying to find the alternate center of gravity computation procedure data entry procedure that the MEL says we are to establish and use. He advised me upon my return that he could not find any such procedure. I completed my cockpit preflight and then looked in the aom with him trying to find it. We also had the mechanic call maintenance control to see if they could assist us. After looking for it; none of us could find any reference to what the MEL stated we must establish and use for the alternate center of gravity computation procedure data entry. I called the dispatcher and asked if he knew what it was. He did not; and xferred me to system operation. I spoke to mr X and he said he was not on the A300 and didn't know so he would get a hold of the A300 person on duty and call me back. We waited and continued to look for this procedure and also looked at other similar MEL listings that referenced this procedure; but no help was found. After waiting awhile; mr Y (the A300 person on duty) called me and he was not aware of what this procedure was either. He said he's make a few more phone calls and get back to me. Awhile later; mr Z (also on the A300) called me and we discussed the issue. He said he would call mr a (also on the A300) and would get back to me. During the waiting; the ZZZ mechanic said that maintenance control did not have anything they could help with -- none of them knew what it meant. So we began looking at the option of getting a dispatch release for running the flight in the payload mode and taking the center of gravity computation procedure out of the equation. Finally; mr Z called me back telling me that he did get a hold of mr a and that they did not know of any written procedure; however; that we should verify what we had loaded in the #1 FMC and that as really all there was to do. I then called mr Y back and advised him of what mr a and mr Z had said. I asked for a written statement to be facsimile'ed to ZZZ and that I would get a release from the dispatcher for operating in the payload mode so that we could depart. As I was on the phone with the dispatcher; mr X called and said that they needed that aircraft in ZZZ1; and I acknowledged that I understood that and was trying to get everything in order so that we could depart. I explained what decisions had been made and that I needed him to facsimile me the statement and as soon as I got that finished with the release; we would be ready to go. This is the statement that was facsimile'ed: 'in discussion with acp mr Y and mr Z; captain B has complied with this MEL. It is agreed upon with all acp's that captain B's actions with the alternate center of gravity computation procedures have been complied with according to management.' signed mr X; air carrier system operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A300 CAPTAIN AND GND CREWS ARE UNABLE TO FIND AN ALTERNATE CG COMPUTATION PROCEDURE REQUIRED TO BE PERFORMED BY AN MEL ITEM.

Narrative: UPON REVIEWING THE PAPERWORK FOR FLT X; NOTED THAT MEL 34-60-01-1-1 WAS LISTED. WE STOPPED BY THE MECH'S OFFICE TO VIEW MEL. ARRIVED AT ACFT AND AFTER FO DID HIS INITIAL PREFLT (I WAS OUTSIDE DOING MY PREFLT). HE WAS TRYING TO FIND THE ALTERNATE CTR OF GRAVITY COMPUTATION PROC DATA ENTRY PROC THAT THE MEL SAYS WE ARE TO ESTABLISH AND USE. HE ADVISED ME UPON MY RETURN THAT HE COULD NOT FIND ANY SUCH PROC. I COMPLETED MY COCKPIT PREFLT AND THEN LOOKED IN THE AOM WITH HIM TRYING TO FIND IT. WE ALSO HAD THE MECH CALL MAINT CTL TO SEE IF THEY COULD ASSIST US. AFTER LOOKING FOR IT; NONE OF US COULD FIND ANY REF TO WHAT THE MEL STATED WE MUST ESTABLISH AND USE FOR THE ALTERNATE CTR OF GRAVITY COMPUTATION PROC DATA ENTRY. I CALLED THE DISPATCHER AND ASKED IF HE KNEW WHAT IT WAS. HE DID NOT; AND XFERRED ME TO SYS OP. I SPOKE TO MR X AND HE SAID HE WAS NOT ON THE A300 AND DIDN'T KNOW SO HE WOULD GET A HOLD OF THE A300 PERSON ON DUTY AND CALL ME BACK. WE WAITED AND CONTINUED TO LOOK FOR THIS PROC AND ALSO LOOKED AT OTHER SIMILAR MEL LISTINGS THAT REFED THIS PROC; BUT NO HELP WAS FOUND. AFTER WAITING AWHILE; MR Y (THE A300 PERSON ON DUTY) CALLED ME AND HE WAS NOT AWARE OF WHAT THIS PROC WAS EITHER. HE SAID HE'S MAKE A FEW MORE PHONE CALLS AND GET BACK TO ME. AWHILE LATER; MR Z (ALSO ON THE A300) CALLED ME AND WE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE. HE SAID HE WOULD CALL MR A (ALSO ON THE A300) AND WOULD GET BACK TO ME. DURING THE WAITING; THE ZZZ MECH SAID THAT MAINT CTL DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING THEY COULD HELP WITH -- NONE OF THEM KNEW WHAT IT MEANT. SO WE BEGAN LOOKING AT THE OPTION OF GETTING A DISPATCH RELEASE FOR RUNNING THE FLT IN THE PAYLOAD MODE AND TAKING THE CTR OF GRAVITY COMPUTATION PROC OUT OF THE EQUATION. FINALLY; MR Z CALLED ME BACK TELLING ME THAT HE DID GET A HOLD OF MR A AND THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW OF ANY WRITTEN PROC; HOWEVER; THAT WE SHOULD VERIFY WHAT WE HAD LOADED IN THE #1 FMC AND THAT AS REALLY ALL THERE WAS TO DO. I THEN CALLED MR Y BACK AND ADVISED HIM OF WHAT MR A AND MR Z HAD SAID. I ASKED FOR A WRITTEN STATEMENT TO BE FAX'ED TO ZZZ AND THAT I WOULD GET A RELEASE FROM THE DISPATCHER FOR OPERATING IN THE PAYLOAD MODE SO THAT WE COULD DEPART. AS I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE DISPATCHER; MR X CALLED AND SAID THAT THEY NEEDED THAT ACFT IN ZZZ1; AND I ACKNOWLEDGED THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT AND WAS TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING IN ORDER SO THAT WE COULD DEPART. I EXPLAINED WHAT DECISIONS HAD BEEN MADE AND THAT I NEEDED HIM TO FAX ME THE STATEMENT AND AS SOON AS I GOT THAT FINISHED WITH THE RELEASE; WE WOULD BE READY TO GO. THIS IS THE STATEMENT THAT WAS FAX'ED: 'IN DISCUSSION WITH ACP MR Y AND MR Z; CAPT B HAS COMPLIED WITH THIS MEL. IT IS AGREED UPON WITH ALL ACP'S THAT CAPT B'S ACTIONS WITH THE ALTERNATE CTR OF GRAVITY COMPUTATION PROCS HAVE BEEN COMPLIED WITH ACCORDING TO MGMNT.' SIGNED MR X; ACR SYS OPS.

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.