A B747-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH 2 DEFERRED ITEMS IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL. #3 THRUST REVERSER WAS DEFERRED AS INOP AND AUTOSPOILERS WERE ALSO DEFERRED AS INOP. WITH REVERSER INOP AUTOSPOILERS MUST WORK.

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THIS RPT INVOLVES THE DISPATCH AND OP OF A B747-200 ACFT IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE APPLICABLE MEL REQUIREMENTS. I WAS THE CAPT ASSIGNED TO OPERATE A FLT OF A B747-200 FREIGHTER ACFT ON ONE SEGMENT OF AN INTL FLT. WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT APPROX 2 HRS BEFORE OUR SCHEDULED DEP; THE ACFT HAVING ARRIVED IN THAT STATION 4 HRS EARLIER. UPON INSPECTION OF THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND DISPATCH RELEASE; WE FOUND THE ACFT WAS BEING DISPATCHED WITH 3 SIGNIFICANT DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS. 2 OF THESE ITEMS HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN DEFERRED PRIOR TO THE ACFT ARRIVING IN THIS STATION; WHILE THE THIRD ITEM HAD BEEN DEFERRED AS A RESULT OF A DISCREPANCY ENTERED INTO THE ACFT LOG UPON ARR. THE ITEMS DEFERRED ARE AS FOLLOWS WITH THE APPROPRIATE MEL REFS: MEL APU; MEL AUTOSPOILERS SYS; MEL THRUST REVERSERS JT9D ENG. THE THRUST REVERSER DISCREPANCY WAS THE ITEM DEFERRED AT THAT STATION. THE DEFERRED MAINT ITEM WAS INDICATED IN THE ACFT LOG AND THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE WAS SIGNED BY THE MAINT PERSONNEL. DURING THE COURSE OF OUR PREFLT; IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL DUTIES; I DISCUSSED WITH MY CREW THE PARTICULARS OF OP WITH THESE DEFERRED MAINT ITEMS. THE OP WITHOUT THE APU IS A SIGNIFICANT ABNORMAL PROC IN THE B747. THE PROC FOR 'ENG START WITH EXTERNAL AIR SOURCE' AND 'XBLEED START' FROM OUR B747 OPS MANUAL WERE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED. THE MEL AND DISPATCH DEV GUIDE WERE REVIEWED FOR THE REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE AUTOSPOILER SYS DEFERRED. WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM WE REVIEWED AND DISCUSSED THE PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONS AND THE PROCS NECESSARY IN THE EVENT OF A REJECTED TKOF AND THE MANUAL OP OF THE SPOILERS. WE ALSO DISCUSSED THE MANUAL SPOILER DEPLOYMENT THAT WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED FOR OUR LNDG AT THE DEST. THE THRUST REVERSER; #3 ENG; WAS DISCUSSED REGARDING THE ACTIONS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE SYMMETRICAL REVERSE IN THE EVENT OF A REJECTED TKOF AND DURING LNDG. THE ACFT WAS SUBSEQUENTLY OPERATED TO THE DEST IN WHAT I WOULD DESCRIBE AS AN UNEVENTFUL OP. UPON ARR AT THE DEST WAS WHEN I BECAME AWARE THAT THE DEFERRED THRUST REVERSER WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE MEL SPECS. THE MEL SPECIFIES THAT THE ANTISKID AND AUTOSPOILER SYS MUST BE FULLY OPERATIONAL IN ORDER TO DEFER A THRUST REVERSER. IN THE CASE OF THE THRUST REVERSER ITEM; THE MEL LIST WAS NOT REVIEWED BY MYSELF OR MY CREW. THE FAILURE TO SPECIFICALLY REF THE MEL FOR THIS ITEM APPEARS TO BE DUE TO A NUMBER OF REASONS. AT THE TIME THIS ITEM WAS BEING DISCUSSED; I HAD MY ATTN DIVERTED TO AN ISSUE REGARDING OUR FLT PLAN THAT REQUIRED ME TO CALL AND RESOLVE THIS ISSUE WITH THE COMPANY DISPATCHER. IN ADDITION; I HAD OPERATED THE ACFT ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS WITH A THRUST REVERSER INOP AND FELT CONFIDENT IN MY FAMILIARITY WITH THIS ISSUE AND HAD ESTABLISHED THAT THE THRUST REVERSER HAD BEEN DEACTIVATED. OF SIGNIFICANCE IT APPEARS; IS THE FACT THAT EVEN THOUGH THERE IS A COMPLIMENTARY MEL REQUIREMENT BTWN THE AUTOSPOILER SYS AND THE THRUST REVERSERS THIS IS ONLY MENTIONED IN THE THRUST REVERSE MEL DETAIL. THERE IS NO REF TO THE REQUIREMENT FOR ALL THRUST REVERSERS TO BE OPERATIONAL IN THE MEL DETAIL FOR THE AUTOSPOILER SYS. OUR REVIEW OF THE MEL AND DISPATCH DEV GUIDE WITH REGARD TO THE AUTOSPOILER DEFERRAL DID NOT BRING OUR ATTN TO THIS REQUIREMENT. IN AN EFFORT TO PREVENT ERRORS WITH MAINT DEFERRAL PROCS AND POSSIBLE NON-COMPLIANCE SITUATIONS I WOULD PROPOSE AN MEL FORMAT REQUIREMENT. WHENEVER THERE IS A COMPLIMENTARY REQUIREMENT BTWN ONE OR MORE ITEMS AND/OR SYS IN THE MEL THIS REQUIREMENT MUST BE INDICATED IN ALL OF THE MEL REFS FOR EACH OF THE EFFECTED ITEMS AND/OR SYS.