DUE TO ALLEGED PUB DEFICIENCY AN ACR B-727S OPERATED SEVERAL LEGS WITH AN MEL DEV AND SHORTED 7600 LBS OF FUEL IN #1 TANK.
Synopsis
DUE TO ALLEGED PUB DEFICIENCY AN ACR B-727S OPERATED SEVERAL LEGS WITH AN MEL DEV AND SHORTED 7600 LBS OF FUEL IN #1 TANK.
Narrative
ON MAR/XX/94 THE FOLLOWING FLTS WERE DISPATCHED WITH THE #1 FUEL BOOST PUMP DEFERRED. I REFERRED TO OUR COMPANY MEL BOOK FOR REF AND READ TO BELIEVE THAT THE RESTR WOULD REQUIRE 5.3 LBS OF ADDITIONAL FUEL IN THE AFFECTED TANK. THE ABOVE FLTS WERE DISPATCHED UNDER THIS PREMISE. THE FOLLOWING DAY; THE ACFT WAS TO OPERATE AND THE CAPT PHONED PRIOR TO DEP TO QUESTION THE RESTRS ON THE MEL. I AGAIN REFERRED TO THE MEL BOOK AND FURTHER REVIEWED THE MEL RESTR BY REFERRING TO THE MAINT AND OPS SECTION PAGES WHICH THEN LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE PUMP RESTR WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 12.9 LBS OF FUEL REQUIRED VERSUS THE PREVIOUS 5.3 LBS. THE FLT PLAN WAS RECALCULATED WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUEL AND THE ORIGINAL FLT PLAN VERBALLY AMENDED. I HAVE REVIEWED THE MEL AND THE COMPANY PROCS WITH MY MGR AND IDENTED THAT THE PAGE LAYOUT (FORMAT) OF THE MEL AND BROUGHT TO HIS ATTN THAT THERE WAS NO NOTATION TO REFER ME TO THE 'OPERATIONAL SECTION' OF THE MEL BOOK AS OTHER RESTRICTIVE MEL ITEMS DO -- WERE MISLEADING TO ME. MY MGR WAS IN CONCURRENCE AND WILL BE SUBMITTING A REVISED VERSION TO REPLACE THE PRESENT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 267595: EVEN THOUGH THE FLT OPERATED NORMALLY AND SAFELY; IF IT HAD BECOME NECESSARY TO HOLD AND GO TO AN ALTERNATE THERE COULD HAVE BEEN A PROB. THIS ISSUE WAS DISCUSSED WITH OUR CHIEF PLT AS SOON AS THE ERROR WAS FOUND AND HE EXPLAINED TO ME THEY HAD ALREADY HAD A NEW REVISION TO THE MEL AT THE FAA OFFICE (TO MAKE THE ISSUE MORE CLR) AWAITING APPROVAL.
More incidents for this aircraft family →
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.