A COMMUTER ACFT; WHICH HAD MAINT DEFERRED ITEMS (PER ACFT'S MEL); DEPARTED WITHOUT THE LEGALLY REQUIRED DOCUMENTS; ON BOARD.

Narrative

ON A TURNAROUND; WITH SEVERAL MECHANICAL PROBS; I WAS PERFORMING THE REQUIRED ITEMS TO OPERATE; PER MEL. A COMPANY MAINT REPRESENTATIVE WAS DEFERRING SEVERAL ITEMS. I WAS MAINLY CONCERNED WITH STICKING THE TANK; (WE HAD AN INOP FUEL GAUGE); AND CALCULATING FUEL. THE MAINT REPRESENTATIVE HAD REMOVED THE MEL DOCUMENT FROM THE ACFT WITHOUT MY KNOWLEDGE. AFTER WE DEPARTED (PRESSED FOR TIME); WE WERE TOLD THAT THEY WOULD SEND THE MEL UP ON THE NEXT FLT; AND THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ANOTHER ONE AT THE HUB. THE MEL CONTAINED THE WT AND BAL DOCUMENT AS WELL. THE CONTRIBUTING FACTOR; HERE; IS A BONUS PROGRAM FOR ON TIME DEPS AND THE STATION INVOLVED; WHICH CLASSIFIES ALL LATE DEPS; AS CREW INFRACTIONS. AT THIS AIRLINE; THE TAIL WAGS THE DOG. THE CHIEF PLT INQUIRED AS TO HOW I HAD COMPLIED WITH THE MEL WITHOUT IT ONBOARD. I HAD REVIEWED IT INBOUND; AND WAS WORKING ON ALL COMPLIANCE WHEN IT WAS REMOVED. AS CAPT THERE ARE ONLY SO MANY THINGS I CAN DO AT ONE TIME. THE FO WAS ESSENTIALLY USELESS. HE IS A 'PAID FOR TRAINING;' FOREIGN NATIONAL HERE TO BUILD FLT TIME AND ONLY GOOD FOR CONSUMING PEANUTS AND SODA POPS. I DO NOT KNOW WHO REMOVED THE DOCUMENT; THE MAINT REPRESENTATIVE OR THE FO. THE CHIEF PLT HAS INSTRUCTED THE DIRECTOR OF MAINTENANCE TO TELL ALL MECHS; TO NEVER REMOVE THE MEL DOCUMENT FROM THE ACFT. ONLY THE ACFT LOG NEEDS SIGNATURES FROM MAINT ENTRIES. THE ACFT LOG WAS REVIEWED BY US; PRIOR TO DEP; WE JUST DID NOT CHK THE OTHER DOCUMENT WHICH SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DISTURBED. ON ARR AT THE HUB WE RECONSTRUCTED THE MANUALS AND WT AND BAL DATA (REBUILT FROM FILES); AND WITH ALL LEGAL DOCUMENTS ON BOARD WITH NO DELAY; ON NEXT DEP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 300606: WE LANDED AT LAFAYETTE WITH 2 OPEN 'WRITE-UPS.' THE MECH AT THE BASE DEFERRED THE 2 ITEMS. HE REMOVED THE MAINT BOOK AND THE MEL FROM THE ACFT. WHEN HE HAD CALLED IN AND TAKEN CARE OF THE DEFERRALS ON THE PHONE; HE FAILED TO PUT THE MEL BACK ON THE ACFT; WITH THE APPROPRIATE MAINT PAPERS.