A DORNIER 328 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROP SYNCHRONIZATION SYS DEFERRED WITH THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED AND CAPPED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Date: 2002-02 · Aircraft: Do 328 TP (Turboprop) · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-mel-cdl|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far

Synopsis

A DORNIER 328 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROP SYNCHRONIZATION SYS DEFERRED WITH THE CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED AND CAPPED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative

GOT INTO COMPANY ACFT X FOR A ROUNDTRIP. RELEASE SHOWED PROP SYNCH MEL'ED. AT OUR COMPANY; MEL'S CAN BE FOUND IN 1 OF 2 PLACES IN THE LOGBOOK; WHERE THE ACTUAL DISCREPANCY OCCURS OR IN THE BACK ON A CARD STOCK 'HARD CARD' ATTACHED TO LOGBOOK. I FOUND THE PROP SYNC ENTERED ON HARD CARD. AS I SCANNED THE LOGBOOK FOR OPEN DISCREPANCIES; I CAME ACROSS THE ORIGINAL PROP SYNC ENTRY. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION SAID IT HAD BEEN MEL'ED AND THE 'M' FUNCTION (MAINT) COMPLIED WITH. SINCE THIS WAS IN THE CORRECTIVE ACTION BLOCK; IT SIGNIFIES THE ITEM IS ON THE HARD CARD. I FOUND THE 'M FUNCTION' ENTRY ODD BECAUSE THERE WAS NO 'M' FUNCTION LISTED FOR PROP SYNC IN THE MEL. I DIDN'T EVEN THINK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT BECAUSE THE HARD CARD WAS CORRECT. I FIGURED THE 'M FUNCTION' ENTRY WAS FORCE OF HABIT. FLEW THE ROUNDTRIP. 10 MINS FROM LNDG ON SECOND LEG; I NOTICED OUT OF THE CORNER OF MY EYE A CIRCUIT BREAKER COLLAR OVER PROP SYNC. THE MEL DOES NOT CALL FOR THIS. MY HEART SANK AS I REMEMBERED THE 'M FUNCTION' ENTRY AND REALIZED THAT MUST'VE REFED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. UPON ENG SHUTDOWN; I IMMEDIATELY PHONED MAINT CTL. I THINK HE HAD DEALT WITH THIS EARLIER. HE HAD AN ANSWER SAYING THEY DID HAVE THE AUTH TO PULL BREAKERS TO DEACTIVATE SYS. HE SAID IT IS GRANTED IN MEL. I WAS SKEPTICAL. LATER I READ THE MEL POLICIES. I PHONED MAINT CTLR LATER. HE ALSO SEEMED WELL VERSED IN THE SIT I WAS REFING AND SAD THEY DO HAVE THAT AUTH. HE SAID IF THE PREVIOUS MAINT CTLR MISSPOKE WHEN REFING THE PREAMBLE FOR AUTH AND ALSO THE 'M FUNCTION' SIGNOFF PROBABLY WAS NOT THE MOST APPROPRIATE VERBIAGE; AND LED TO THE CONFUSION MOST LIKELY. I AM STILL A BIT SKEPTICAL. IT MAKES SENSE; BUT NEITHER MAINT CTLR OFFERED ME ANY EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT IT IN A CHALLENGE FROM; SAY AN INSPECTOR.

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