Air carrier large transport flight made without properly signed off maintenance item.

Attributes
ACN	85180
Time
Date	198804
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000
ASRS Report	85180
Person 2
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

On taxi out for takeoff, upper yaw damper failed to work to the right (ok to left and lower yaw damper ok). Although allowed to crew placard per MEL I elected to return back to ramp to have maintenance look at it and either fix it or placard the upper yaw damper and take the aircraft out of CAT ii. They could not fix it and told me to take the aircraft and placard it in flight. This was my first error in that maintenance must sign off the problem at a major maintenance base, ie, rdu. I checked with dispatch and we agreed that the flight could be flown with the present fuel supply at the lower altitude and the longer flight time. We took the aircraft. I should not have allowed someone to talk me into taking an aircraft west/O the proper signoffs, even though we could have legally taken the aircraft if we had not returned back to the gate. Returning back to the gate changed the requirements, ie, maintenance must correct the problem or restrict the aircraft, ie, lower altitude, lower speeds, no CAT ii, etc.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT FLT MADE WITHOUT PROPERLY SIGNED OFF MAINTENANCE ITEM.

Narrative: ON TAXI OUT FOR TKOF, UPPER YAW DAMPER FAILED TO WORK TO THE RIGHT (OK TO LEFT AND LOWER YAW DAMPER OK). ALTHOUGH ALLOWED TO CREW PLACARD PER MEL I ELECTED TO RETURN BACK TO RAMP TO HAVE MAINT LOOK AT IT AND EITHER FIX IT OR PLACARD THE UPPER YAW DAMPER AND TAKE THE ACFT OUT OF CAT II. THEY COULD NOT FIX IT AND TOLD ME TO TAKE THE ACFT AND PLACARD IT IN FLT. THIS WAS MY FIRST ERROR IN THAT MAINT MUST SIGN OFF THE PROB AT A MAJOR MAINT BASE, IE, RDU. I CHKED WITH DISPATCH AND WE AGREED THAT THE FLT COULD BE FLOWN WITH THE PRESENT FUEL SUPPLY AT THE LOWER ALT AND THE LONGER FLT TIME. WE TOOK THE ACFT. I SHOULD NOT HAVE ALLOWED SOMEONE TO TALK ME INTO TAKING AN ACFT W/O THE PROPER SIGNOFFS, EVEN THOUGH WE COULD HAVE LEGALLY TAKEN THE ACFT IF WE HAD NOT RETURNED BACK TO THE GATE. RETURNING BACK TO THE GATE CHANGED THE REQUIREMENTS, IE, MAINT MUST CORRECT THE PROB OR RESTRICT THE ACFT, IE, LOWER ALT, LOWER SPDS, NO CAT II, ETC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.