MEL Question
 

During an MEL class today the question came up about MEL Category "A" and what the definition of a "flight day" is. Without giving away what what said/decided in class I want to ask all of you. Here's the example:

If an "A" category item is deferred for "two flight days" when does the clock start and when does it end?

Fire away...

FAA MMEL Policy Letter 25 Revision 16 A


Rev 16 Definitions

9. "Flight Day" means a 24 hour period (from midnight to midnight) either Universal Coordinated Time (UCT) or local time, as established by the operator, during which at least one flight is initiated for the affected aircraft.


[EDIT To Add:

I just realized I only answered the definition part. You also posed an example question, and that requires this information, as well:


22. Repair Intervals: All users of an MEL approved under FAR 121, 125, 129 and 135 must effect repairs of inoperative systems or components, deferred in accordance with the MEL, at or prior to the repair times established by the following letter designators:

Category A. Items in this category shall be repaired within the time interval specified in the remarks column of the operator's approved MEL. For time intervals specified in “calendar days” or "flight days," the day the malfunction was recorded in the aircraft maintenance record/logbook is excluded. For all other time intervals (flights, flight legs, cycles, hours, etc), repair tracking begins at the point when the malfunction is deferred in accordance with the operator's approved MEL.

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The day the item was deferred does not count. Let's say your company clock starts at 0300 local.

If you deferred an "A" item at 2300 today, then today is "day zero".

You could then fly from 2300 to 0300 and then continue into tomorrow "day one" and all the way up to 0300 the following day. After 0300 on that day you are in "day two" are are no-go.

MEL - Flight Days
 

First, unless your company is somehwere near Saudi Arabia, the company clock won't start at 0300. It will either start at midnight UCT, or midnight local time. (Saudi Arabia is UCT + 3, Moscow's the same in the winter, and Greece is the same during the summer.)

Second, if the repair must be made within 2 flight days, you have until the end of the second flight day to make the repair, not the beginning of the 2nd flight day.

In the example given, an "A" Category item is deferred for two flight days. The aircraft may be operated for the remainder of the day on which the discrepancy was noted, that is until midnight of that day - call that Day 1.

Day 2 begins at midnight. The airplane flies, so Day 2 becomes Flight Day #1.

Day 3 begins at midnight. The airplane doesn't fly because of the schedule or the whim of the boss -- maybe it's a Sunday, and it gets the day off. Whatever the reason, since the airplane did not fly, it is not considered a flight day. It still has one flight day remaining.

Day 4 begins at midnight. The airplane flies, so it becomes Flight Day #2. The aiplane can go until the end of that day - midnight - before repairs must be made.

Day 5 begins at midnight. Since 2 Flight Days have passed, the airplane cannot fly until appropriate repairs have been made.





That help?






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Is it still too early to give away what was said/decided in class? ;)






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that pretty much answers it right there.