Widebody transport illegally flew oceanic trip with both HF selcals inoperative.

Attributes
ACN	93248
Time
Date	198808
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : jfk
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 50 flight time total : 13000
ASRS Report	93248
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

A new international MEL specifies no departure from a mainland station with both H.F. Selcals inoperative. One is required for eow operations. The aircraft was placarded with both H.F. Selcals inoperative and dispatched jfk to sju. Both first officer and I.O. And I believed the aircraft was legal to operate this route as long as H.F. Was monitored. Both H.F.'south worked fine. When the king's english was interpreted (log book placard vs. MEL interpretation) it appears we flew the leg illegally. Dispatch was contacted and the placards are now more closely monitored and interpreted on this aircraft. The problem? A new aircraft in the fleet and the usual bugs and traps involved in a new aircraft. As always the captain is responsible and should not have relied on a dispatch interpretation.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WDB ILLEGALLY FLEW OCEANIC TRIP WITH BOTH HF SELCALS INOPERATIVE.

Narrative: A NEW INTL MEL SPECIFIES NO DEP FROM A MAINLAND STATION WITH BOTH H.F. SELCALS INOP. ONE IS REQUIRED FOR EOW OPS. THE ACFT WAS PLACARDED WITH BOTH H.F. SELCALS INOP AND DISPATCHED JFK TO SJU. BOTH F/O AND I.O. AND I BELIEVED THE ACFT WAS LEGAL TO OPERATE THIS ROUTE AS LONG AS H.F. WAS MONITORED. BOTH H.F.'S WORKED FINE. WHEN THE KING'S ENGLISH WAS INTERPRETED (LOG BOOK PLACARD VS. MEL INTERPRETATION) IT APPEARS WE FLEW THE LEG ILLEGALLY. DISPATCH WAS CONTACTED AND THE PLACARDS ARE NOW MORE CLOSELY MONITORED AND INTERPRETED ON THIS ACFT. THE PROB? A NEW ACFT IN THE FLEET AND THE USUAL BUGS AND TRAPS INVOLVED IN A NEW ACFT. AS ALWAYS THE CAPT IS RESPONSIBLE AND SHOULD NOT HAVE RELIED ON A DISPATCH INTERPRETATION.

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.