FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT OPERATED ACFT CONTRARY TO THE INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF PROVISION OF ACFT MEL.

Date: 1993-10 · Aircraft: Medium Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng

Anomalies: deviation-discrepancy-procedural-other-unknown|other-unspecified

Synopsis

FLC OF AN MLG ACR ACFT OPERATED ACFT CONTRARY TO THE INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF PROVISION OF ACFT MEL.

Narrative

I RPTED TO WORK AND CHKED THE PAPERWORK FOR THE FLT. I FOUND A HYD QUANTITY GAUGE HAD BEEN MEL'ED FOR THE TRIP AND ALL THE PAPERWORK WAS IN ORDER. I GOT THE MANUAL OUT AND CHKED THE PROCS WHICH SAID THERE WAS 'NO CREW ACTION REQUIRED.' THE MANUAL SAID THE QUANTITY COULD BE CHKED ON THE RESERVOIR IN THE MAIN WHEEL WELL BEFORE EACH DEP. AFTER READING THIS I CONTINUED THE TRIP NORMALLY. AFTER RETURNING FROM THE TRIP WHICH WE FLEW FROM ANC TO FAIRBANKS TO BARROW TO FAIRBANKS TO ANC; WE MET THE SECOND CREW FOR THE DAY AND THEY DISAGREED WITH OUR READING OF THE MEL. THEY SAID THE ACFT NEEDED A MECH TO SIGN OFF THE QUANTITY EVERY LEG. THIS WOULD HAVE CAUSED A LOT OF PROBS FOR US BECAUSE THERE AREN'T ANY MECHS IN BARROW. THE CONFUSION CAME FROM A SPECIAL MAINT PROC THAT THE MEL MADE REF TO. THIS PROC REQUIRES A QUALIFIED PERSON TO MAKE THE CHKS; AND SINCE THIS IS PART OF OUR PREFLT ACTION; WE CONSIDERED OURSELVES QUALIFIED. I DON'T THINK AN MEL SHOULD HAVE THIS KIND OF AMBIGUITY WRITTEN IN ITS CONTENTS; HOWEVER; THE MOST CONSERVATIVE RTE IS ALWAYS BEST; BUT IT'S NOT ALWAYS PRACTICAL. WE DID WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SAFE; AND THE OTHER CREW DISAGREED. WE CONTACTED THE MAINT SUPVRS; AND THEY WERE ALSO IN DISAGREEMENT. I THINK IT SHOULD BE VERY CLR WHO CAN DO THE INSPECTIONS.

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.