EMB ERJ 190/195 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Situational Awareness; Distraction; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical
Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; MEL
This ERJ-190 aircraft had two MELs: TAT-1 Fail and MFD-2 inoperative. First of all; the information in the MEL is inadequate and incomplete regarding the TAT-1 fail as follows: ...CAT status is degraded due to the requirement that the source be selected to First Officer's side as per the MEL; but is required to be selected to the Captain's side per our autoland procedure; but no mention of this in the MEL. On every leg we had autothrust fail at 1;500 FT which I strongly suspect is due to the TAT-1 being inoperative; but no mention of it in the MEL. Various VNAV performance calculations [were] unavailable on Captain's side but no mention of it in the MEL. And even more importantly; dispatching with the MFD-2 inoperative made it especially difficult since various VNAV capabilities were compromised on the Captain's side. MEL needs to be corrected. Dispatching with multiple MELs is a bad idea to begin with; and particularly with these two.
Reporter stated his Air Carrier just recently issued a Temporary Revision in their ERJ-190 MEL to show the CAT-2 and CAT-3 Approach downgrade due to the TAT-1 fail. They should never have departed with the First Officer's MFD-2 also deferred as inoperative; since the source for TAT would have to be viewed on the First Officer's MFD; which was not viewable. He still believes the autothrust fail and 'ding' indication at 1;500 FT were due to the TAT-1 failure; since the ERJ-190's aircraft does an Autothrust System check at 1;500 FT.
Captain reports that information in their ERJ-190 MEL is inadequate; incomplete and did not indicate the aircraft's CAT-2/CAT-3 would be downgraded with the deferral of TAT-1. The First Officer's MFD-2 had also been deferred and was suppose to be the source selected for the TAT-1 deferral; but was not viewable.