A320 flight crew departs without a proper maintenance release following receipt of an ECAM system 2 ...

Attributes
ACN	813796
Time
Date	200811
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : iad.airport
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Marginal
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 900
ASRS Report	813796
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight was delayed 1 hour due to late deadhead flight to iad. Flight delayed further on taxi-out due to traffic over departure fix. Pushed quickly through preflight uneventfully. On taxi-out; we had 'F/control slat system 2 fault ECAM.' no further guidance from ECAM. Referred to flight manual which said 'crew awareness' 'slats slow.' we attempted system reset per flight manual with no luck. We then sent maintenance message expecting a quick deferral due to the limited minimal information in the flight manual which did not give cause for a lot of concern. We went ahead and moved up to #1 for takeoff while waiting for deferral to attempt to get going as quickly as possible. We saw paperwork printing on ACARS and assumed it to be the new maintenance release. We were cleared for takeoff at the same time the paper was printing and took off. Paperwork was not maintenance release; but lengthy MEL. We; therefore; took off without a valid maintenance release. We should have not been so rushed; and checked the paperwork more closely. Perhaps if there were something in the flight manual alluding to the lengthy MEL that would be coming; we would have taken more time.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW DEPARTS WITHOUT A PROPER MAINT RELEASE FOLLOWING RECEIPT OF AN ECAM SYS 2 FAULT MESSAGE.

Narrative: FLT WAS DELAYED 1 HR DUE TO LATE DEADHEAD FLT TO IAD. FLT DELAYED FURTHER ON TAXI-OUT DUE TO TFC OVER DEP FIX. PUSHED QUICKLY THROUGH PREFLT UNEVENTFULLY. ON TAXI-OUT; WE HAD 'F/CTL SLAT SYSTEM 2 FAULT ECAM.' NO FURTHER GUIDANCE FROM ECAM. REFERRED TO FLT MANUAL WHICH SAID 'CREW AWARENESS' 'SLATS SLOW.' WE ATTEMPTED SYSTEM RESET PER FLT MANUAL WITH NO LUCK. WE THEN SENT MAINT MESSAGE EXPECTING A QUICK DEFERRAL DUE TO THE LIMITED MINIMAL INFO IN THE FLT MANUAL WHICH DID NOT GIVE CAUSE FOR A LOT OF CONCERN. WE WENT AHEAD AND MOVED UP TO #1 FOR TKOF WHILE WAITING FOR DEFERRAL TO ATTEMPT TO GET GOING AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE SAW PAPERWORK PRINTING ON ACARS AND ASSUMED IT TO BE THE NEW MAINT RELEASE. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AT THE SAME TIME THE PAPER WAS PRINTING AND TOOK OFF. PAPERWORK WAS NOT MAINT RELEASE; BUT LENGTHY MEL. WE; THEREFORE; TOOK OFF WITHOUT A VALID MAINT RELEASE. WE SHOULD HAVE NOT BEEN SO RUSHED; AND CHKED THE PAPERWORK MORE CLOSELY. PERHAPS IF THERE WERE SOMETHING IN THE FLT MANUAL ALLUDING TO THE LENGTHY MEL THAT WOULD BE COMING; WE WOULD HAVE TAKEN MORE TIME.

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.

A320 flight crew departs without a proper maintenance release following receipt of an ECAM system 2 fault message.