A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE L ANGLE OF ATTACK SENSOR BROKEN OFF AND DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL REQUIREMENTS.

Narrative

WHILE PERFORMING OUR TAXI CHKLIST IN PREPARATION FOR A FLT FROM EWR TO CMH; WE DISCOVERED A WARNING LIGHT FOR THE L ALPHA VANE (ANGLE OF ATTACK SENSOR). WE GOT CLRNC AND PARKED WHERE WE COULD CHK OUT THE PROB AND PROCEEDED TO PULL AND RESET ANY CIRCUIT BREAKERS WHICH WE THOUGHT MIGHT BE INVOLVED. THEN WE CALLED OUR MAINT CTL ON THE RADIO AND HE OFFERED SOME SUGGESTIONS AND WE DECIDED WE SHOULD RETURN TO THE GATE. THE ALPHA VANE WAS BROKEN. AFTER FURTHER DISCUSSION WITH OUR MAINT CTL AND AN ACR MECH (IN PERSON); WE DEFERRED OUR L STALL WARNING SYS AND GPWS SYS; AND PROCEEDED TO COLUMBUS. DURING THE FLT TO CMH; WE NOTICED OTHER MINOR PROBS WITH THE AUTOMATIC FLT SYS: THE AUTOTHROTTLE SYS ALWAYS COMMANDED MAX CONTINUOUS THRUST AND THE AUTOSLAT SYS WAS INOP. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN CMH AND OUR MECHS MET US; WE WERE TOLD THAT WE HAD LOOKED AT AND CITED THE WRONG MEL PARAGRAPH. WE USED ONE FROM THE STALL WARNING CHAPTER; WHICH SEEMED LOGICAL; AND WE SHOULD HAVE USED ONE FROM THE AUTOFLT CTL CHAPTER; WHICH SEEMED OBSCURE. THE MECHS SAID AN ALMOST IDENTICAL SIT HAPPENED 2 WKS PREVIOUS. WE HAD THE PROPER MEL DEFERRALS SIGNED OFF AND PROCEEDED TO LAS; WHERE REPAIRS WERE MADE. IN CONCLUSION; WE PLACED TOO MUCH FAITH IN THE MECHS INVOLVED AND DID NOT THOROUGHLY ANALYZE THE SIT ON OUR OWN. OUR MEL DOCUMENT COULD HAVE EASILY INCLUDED A XREF NOTATION OR A COMPLETE INDEX; WHICH WOULD HAVE AVOIDED THE SIT ENTIRELY.