CAPT OF E145 FLEW ACFT NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH MEL RESTRS REGARDING RE-PRESSURIZATION SYS.

Date: 2003-07 · Aircraft: EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR · Phase: ground

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

Synopsis

CAPT OF E145 FLEW ACFT NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH MEL RESTRS REGARDING RE-PRESSURIZATION SYS.

Narrative

I ACCEPTED AN ACFT THAT CARRIED 2 MEL'S; ONE THE #1 OR L BLEED AND THE APU BLEED. THE MEL FOR THE L ENG BLEED HAS 5 PARTS. L BLEED INOP APU BLEED AVAILABLE NO RESTRS; L BLEED INOP NO APU AVAILABLE OPS BELOW FL250; R BLEED INOP OPS BELOW FL250; BOTH BLEEDS INOP APU AVAILABLE OPS BELOW FL180 AND BOTH BLEED INOP NO APU OPS UNPRESSURIZED. I HAD JUST SWAPPED OUT OF ANOTHER ACFT THAT HAD A DOWNING ITEM. I WAS NOW WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE. THE ACFT WAS EXTREMELY HOT 50 DEGS C FLT DECK; 40 DEGS C CABIN. WHILE WAITING FOR THE ACFT TO ARRIVE; I REVIEWED THE MEL'S. I FOUND THE ONE I THOUGHT ALLOWED ME TO DEPART; HOWEVER; IN MY HASTE AND DISCOMFORT; I OVERLOOKED AN OP PROC THAT CONTRADICTS MOST OF THE MEL AND REQUIRES AN OPERATING APU BLEED. IN A HURRY; I INADVERTENTLY FLEW AN UNAIRWORTHY ACFT THAT WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AN MEL. EARLY THAT MORNING; THE SAME ACFT HAD BEEN PRONOUNCED AIRWORTHY AND FLOWN FROM OUR MAIN MAINT BASE TO CLT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE SEEN CONTRADICTING OR VAGUE MEL'S ON THIS ACFT. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE PROB STARTS; WITH THE COMPANY; THE FAA OR WITH EMBRAER. I HAVE LEARNED A VALUABLE LESSON: HURRYING NEVER HELPS; IT ONLY HURTS SAFETY.

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