A B757-200 WITH AN INOP THRUST REVERSER DEPARTED FOR A DEST WITH A RWY TOO SHORT FOR THE THRUST REVERSER INOP MEL.

Narrative

UPON RETURNING HOME FROM MY TRIP; I HAD A MESSAGE FROM AIRLINE SAFETY OFFICE INQUIRING AS TO WHY I DID NOT ASAP A PREVIOUS FLT ON SEP/SAT/04. ON THIS FLT IN QUESTION; WE WERE SELCAL'ED BY ZNY TO CONTACT COMPANY ON HF. ABOUT 45-60 MINS FROM OUR DEST; DISPATCH INFORMED US THAT WE WERE NOT LEGAL TO LAND BECAUSE ONE OF OUR THRUST REVERSERS WAS ON THE MEL. THEY INFORMED US THAT WE COULD NOT LAND AT A FIELD OF LESS THAN 7000 FT. DEST IS 7070 FT; BUT IT HAS A USABLE LNDG DISTANCE OF 6700 FT; A CHANGE DUE TO A DISPLACED THRESHOLD. I WAS SEAT-FILING FOR THE CAPT WHO WAS ON BREAK. THE FO AND I WERE PUZZLED BECAUSE WE DID NOT SEE THE PENALTY THAT DISPATCH WAS ALLUDING TO. WE READ IT AS A WT PENALTY THAT WE COULD COMPLY WITH LEGALLY. IT WAS NOT UNTIL A FEW MINS LATER THAT WE REALIZED THAT WE HAD MADE THE MISTAKE OF READING THE CDL. WE CALLED THE CAPT BACK AND DIVERTED TO ZZZZ FOR AN ACFT SWAP. ALTHOUGH WE MISREAD THE MEL IN NEW YORK AND IN THE AIR INITIALLY; I THOUGHT THAT THE PROB ENDED WITH OUR LEGAL LNDG IN ZZZZ. I WAS UNAWARE THAT WE WERE IN VIOLATION OF AN FAR UNTIL I SPOKE WITH ACR SAFETY.