SF 340B
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Procedure
On our descent I attempted to select a lower altitude into the APA (Altitude Pre-selector). The rotary dial would not allow me to select a lower altitude; so as a crew we deemed it INOP. My First Officer and I agreed that it would be safer to hand-fly the rest of the flight so that we would not be distracted by the aircrafts' automation. We landed safely without incident. Once the aircraft was parked; and passengers deplaned; I wrote the discrepancy up in the logbook: 'APA IS INOP.' I called my Dispatcher and notified them; and was then forwarded to Maintenance Control. I was instructed by Maintenance Control to not write up the APA and to MEL the Autopilot System. Without checking the MEL book; I agreed to the MEL; gathered the necessary data for the write-up; and hung up. I then reviewed the MEL procedure to ensure that I was in compliance and discovered that the autopilot could not be MEL'd with an INOP APA. I then called my Dispatcher to query them as to why they made me MEL a different system. We reviewed the MEL procedures together and he agreed with me that Maintenance was in the wrong. I was then forwarded to Maintenance Control. I challenged Maintenance Control for their reasoning on wanting to MEL the autopilot rather then the APA. They told me that to comply with the APA MEL; they would need to send a maintenance team out; or call Contract Maintenance. However; since we are in bankruptcy; Contract Maintenance refuses to work on our airplanes. Therefore; they wanted me to MEL the autopilot so the aircraft could be returned to base to be fixed in the morning. I then asked to speak to the Duty Manager; and they informed me that 'They went home for the night' (which puzzled me). The Maintenance Controller assured me that nothing will come back on me and told me to MEL the Autopilot. I hung up; and self-deferred the Autopilot System; and left the aircraft. I was pressured by Maintenance Control to keep the aircraft in service to have it be returned to a Maintenance Base.
SF340 Captain discovers the altitude preselect (APA) is inoperative during approach and contacts Maintenance Control after landing. The Captain is instructed to write up and MEL the autopilot because Contract Maintenance is not available to properly sign off the APA and allow the aircraft to return to base.