Mechanic uses a maintenance procedures manual to defer a B737-800 first officer's foot air control k...

Attributes
ACN	804755
Time
Date	200808
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-800
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 14
ASRS Report	804755
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper documentation
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : briefing performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight crew called from aircraft to notify maintenance control center; B737 maintenance coordinator's desk; that the first officer's foot air control knob broke. As in yrs past; I issued a flight crew placard per company procedures using a generic MEL number to generate a control number to cover the missing knob. The missing knob remained on deferred status for approximately 2 more weeks. Another aircraft had a similar problem and discovered that there was a specific MEL to cover this discrepancy that was added at the last MEL revision. The repair category for this item is 10 days; so consequently the first officer's foot air control knob developed a repair overrun. Once discovered the aircraft was stopped to be repaired. One suggestion to avoid a similarsituation would be to include a list to highlight the changes when the revised MEL is released. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that just recently their B737-800 MEL was completely revised. But; the revisions are not highlighted; making the changes difficult to notice. Their MEL is fully electronic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC USES A MAINT PROCEDURES MANUAL TO DEFER A B737-800 FIRST OFFICER'S FOOT AIR CONTROL KNOB AS NON-ESSENTIAL; BUT LATER REALIZES A RECENT REVISION TO THE MEL LIMITED DEFERRAL TO TEN DAYS.

Narrative: FLT CREW CALLED FROM ACFT TO NOTIFY MAINT CTL CTR; B737 MAINT COORDINATOR'S DESK; THAT THE FO'S FOOT AIR CTL KNOB BROKE. AS IN YRS PAST; I ISSUED A FLT CREW PLACARD PER COMPANY PROCS USING A GENERIC MEL NUMBER TO GENERATE A CTL NUMBER TO COVER THE MISSING KNOB. THE MISSING KNOB REMAINED ON DEFERRED STATUS FOR APPROX 2 MORE WKS. ANOTHER ACFT HAD A SIMILAR PROB AND DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A SPECIFIC MEL TO COVER THIS DISCREPANCY THAT WAS ADDED AT THE LAST MEL REVISION. THE REPAIR CATEGORY FOR THIS ITEM IS 10 DAYS; SO CONSEQUENTLY THE FO'S FOOT AIR CTL KNOB DEVELOPED A REPAIR OVERRUN. ONCE DISCOVERED THE ACFT WAS STOPPED TO BE REPAIRED. ONE SUGGESTION TO AVOID A SIMILARSITUATION WOULD BE TO INCLUDE A LIST TO HIGHLIGHT THE CHANGES WHEN THE REVISED MEL IS RELEASED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT JUST RECENTLY THEIR B737-800 MEL WAS COMPLETELY REVISED. BUT; THE REVISIONS ARE NOT HIGHLIGHTED; MAKING THE CHANGES DIFFICULT TO NOTICE. THEIR MEL IS FULLY ELECTRONIC.

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.

Mechanic uses a maintenance procedures manual to defer a B737-800 first officer's foot air control knob as non-essential; but later realizes a recent revision to the MEL limited deferral to ten days.