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MEL Tracker

Track deferred defects under your Minimum Equipment List with category-based repair intervals, expiry dates, and integration with flight release.

What Is the MEL Tracker?

The MEL (Minimum Equipment List) Tracker lets you record and track equipment deferrals under your MEL. It enforces category-based repair intervals, highlights overdue items, and surfaces active deferrals during flight release.

MEL items are found on each aircraft's detail page under the MEL tab.

MEL Categories and Repair Intervals

FAA MEL categories define how long a deferred item may remain open:

CategoryRepair Interval
APer manufacturer's recommendation (often within a few hours)
BWithin 3 calendar days
CWithin 10 calendar days
DWithin 120 calendar days

Your actual MEL document governs the specific intervals for your aircraft type. Always refer to your FAA-approved MEL.

Adding a MEL Item

  1. Navigate to Aircraft → [Aircraft] → MEL tab.
  2. Click Add MEL Item.
  3. Fill in the required fields:
    • Equipment / System — e.g., "Left landing light"
    • MEL Reference — e.g., "33-1" (optional)
    • Category — A, B, C, or D
    • Deferred Date — the date the item was deferred
    • Expiry Date — auto-calculate based on category, or set manually
    • Hobbs at Deferral — optional, for tracking
    • Related Squawk — link to an existing squawk if applicable
    • Placard Required — check if aircraft must display a cockpit placard
    • Restrictions / Limitations — e.g., "Day VFR only"
    • Operational Procedures — any required pilot actions

Expiry Date Colors

Expiry dates are color-coded to highlight urgency:

ColorMeaning
GreenMore than 30 days remaining
Yellow10–30 days remaining
RedLess than 10 days remaining or already expired

Resolving a MEL Item

When the defect is corrected:

  1. Click the green check icon on the open MEL item.
  2. Enter the Resolution Date and Resolution Notes (what was done).
  3. Click Mark Resolved.

Resolved items move to the Resolved section (shown slightly dimmed, most recent 5 records).

Integration with Dispatch Board

If any aircraft has open MEL items, the Dispatch Board fleet status panel shows an amber warning triangle and the count of open items. If a grounded squawk exists, the aircraft shows as GROUNDED in red.

Integration with Flight Release

When completing a flight release, the system automatically surfaces the count of open MEL items on the aircraft. The releasing manager must acknowledge airworthiness with full knowledge of active deferrals.

Requirements

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