B757-200
Other / Unknown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance
General Maintenance Action
Human Factors
We discovered a red collared circuit breaker; 'auto spoiler retract' that should have been removed and reset with the 'auto spoiler inop' write up from a previous date. Maintenance was called; came out and performed the necessary steps to make this right and reset the circuit breaker.
During preflight; I happened to notice a circuit breaker on the P6 panel (sidewall; underneath observer panel) that was out with a collar. I looked closer and found the CB was labeled 'SPD BRK AUTO STOW'. I was unaware of any write up regarding the speed brake system (we had flown the airplane in the night before with nothing in the logbook prior to leaving and we had not experienced any issues with the speed brake system). I reviewed the logbook again and found two references to placards of the speed brake system under MEL 27-12. The most recent was a placard issued in late August and cleared the next day. A review of MEL 27-12 revealed that the maintenance action taken when issuing the placard was to pull and collar two circuit breakers; the 'AUTO SPDBRK' circuit breaker on the overhead P11 Panel; and this circuit breaker (SPD BRK AUTO STOW) on the P6 panel. The MEL also required disconnecting a cannon plot on the SAC in the electronics bay. The circuit breaker on the overhead P 11 panel referenced by the MEL was checked and found to be in. We called Maintenance who discovered that the SAC in the electronics bay was disconnected. Maintenance reconnected the SAC; reinstated the SPD BRK AUTO STOW circuit breaker and did the system test required by the maintenance manual. The evidence suggests that this aircraft has operated with a disabled load alleviation system since the placard was cleared more than a month earlier. MEL 27-12 contains airspeed limitations when operating above 221;000 pounds. We were below that weight on the one leg we flew; but it is unknown if any legs prior were flown in excess of 221;000 pounds. There was no indication in the cockpit (no EICAS message; annunciator light; or other indication) of this load alleviation system being disabled.
B757 flight crew reports discovering during preflight that the 'SPD BRK AUTO STOW' circuit breaker on the P6 panel is pulled and collared. Maintenance is called and it is determined that an MEL that was cleared by Maintenance over a month ago was not properly accomplished.