AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A LARGE TEAR IN THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT LINING. DEFERRED BUT IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS.

Narrative

UPON WALKAROUND; A TEAR IN THE AFT CARGO PIT LINER WAS FOUND. THE DISCREPANCY WAS NOTED IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. A DECISION BY MAINT WAS TO DEFER IT AND RELEASE THE ACFT. THERE WAS SOME DEBATE AS TO WHETHER IT COULD BE DEFERRED DUE TO THE SIZE OF THE TEAR IN THE CARGO LINER. PAPERWORK WAS DONE AND RELEASED ACCORDING TO MAINT PROC. THE ACFT DEPARTED AND THERE WAS NO CARGO LOADED IN THE AFT CARGO PIT. UPON ARR AT THE DEST; WE WERE ASKED TO CALL MAINT CTL. THERE WAS A MECH ALREADY AT THE STATION. IT WAS DISCLOSED BY MAINT THAT THE ACFT WAS IMPROPERLY RELEASED DUE TO THE RELEASE SIGNOFF. THE ACFT WAS CONSIDERED UNAIRWORTHY BY NATURE OF THE PAPERWORK. ALTHOUGH THE MAINT LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED BY A MECH WITH AUTH FROM MAINT CTL; THE PAPER WAS BELIEVED TO BE IN ORDER BY THE CAPT. WE WERE NOT UNDER THE IMPRESSION ANYTHING WAS NOT PROPERLY DONE. WE DID NOT AND HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MASTER LIST OF MEL PROCS. THE MAINT LOGBOOK WAS THEN PROPERLY SIGNED OFF AGAIN UNDER A DIFFERENT PROC AND WE PROCEEDED WITHOUT FURTHER DELAY. PLTS ARE NOT MECHS AND DO NOT HAVE THE ACCESS; NOR SHOULD WE; OF PROPER PROCS FOR RELEASING ACFT ON DISCREPANCIES. WE RELY ON MAINT TO DO THEIR JOB IN COMPLIANCE WITH PRESCRIBED PROCS. WE (THE CREW) RPT PROBS AS WE SEE THEM. MAINT IS RESPONSIBLE TO EITHER FIX THE PROB OR DEFER THE PROC UNTIL SUCH TIME IT CAN BE FIXED ACCORDING TO ESTABLISHED PROCS. IN THIS INSTANCE; WE BELIEVED THE SIGNOFF WAS PROPER AND TOOK THE ACFT. WAS THE ACFT SAFE TO FLY? YES. WAS THERE ANY DANGER TO IT OR ITS PAX? NO. HOWEVER; THE PAPERWORK WAS NOT COMPLETED PROPERLY. A CLR VIOLATION OF THE FARS.