AN MD80 TECHNICIAN RPTS IMPROPER DEFERRAL OF THE SPOILER DEPLOYED WARNING LIGHT. THE MEL REF IS TO THE LIGHT INOP NOT ILLUMINATING. IN THIS CASE THE LIGHT IS ON CONTINUOUSLY.

Date: 2007-02 · Aircraft: MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: ground

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

Synopsis

AN MD80 TECHNICIAN RPTS IMPROPER DEFERRAL OF THE SPOILER DEPLOYED WARNING LIGHT. THE MEL REF IS TO THE LIGHT INOP NOT ILLUMINATING. IN THIS CASE THE LIGHT IS ON CONTINUOUSLY.

Narrative

MEL 27-6 IS BEING MISUSED TO KEEP ACFT OPERATING WHEN IN FACT THERE IS AN ACTUAL DISCREPANCY WITH THE SPOILER SYS. MEL 27-6 IS TO BE USED WHEN THE SPOILER DEPLOYED LIGHT IS INOP. THE PROVISO DIRECTS THAT A VISUAL VERIFICATION TO ENSURE THAT THE SPOILERS ARE STOWED BEFORE EACH TKOF. THE DEPLOYED LIGHT IS INSTALLED TO ALERT THE FLT CREW WHEN THE SPOILERS ARE NOT IN A FAIRED CONDITION AND ARE PRESENTLY ON A PLACARD FOR THE LIGHT BEING ILLUMINATED ALL THE TIME. THE LIGHT IS OPERATIVE; IT IS TELLING THE TRUTH. THERE IS A PROB IN THE SYS THAT IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED. THIS MISUSE OF THE MEL IS A VIOLATION OF THE FAR'S. IF THE COMPANY WANTS TO OPERATE AN ACFT IN THIS CONDITION THEN SPECIFIC GUIDANCE NEEDS TO BE ESTABLISHED. THE MEL IS STRAIGHT FORWARD; INOP LIGHT; VERIFY THAT THE SPOILER PANELS ARE STOWED. IF THE LIGHT IS ON AT ALL TIMES; THERE ISN'T ANY MEL RELIEF. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE SPOILER DEPLOYED LIGHT CAN ONLY BE DEFERRED PER THE MEL IF THE LIGHT SYS IS INOP AND THE SPOILERS ARE CHKED FOR BEING STOWED PRIOR TO DEP. THIS SPOILER DEPLOYED LIGHT HAS BEEN DEFERRED ON 2 AIRPLANES BECAUSE THE MEL IS BEING MISINTERPRETED AS THE ACTUAL CONDITION IS THE LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED CONTINUOUSLY. THE SPOILER LIGHT ILLUMINATING ALERTS THE CREW EITHER A GND SPOILER IS NOT STOWED INFLT OR ANY SPOILER EXTENDED ON THE GND. RPTR BELIEVES THE SPOILER SYS HAS A FAULT; MOST LIKELY A FLOATING GND SPOILER.

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