Originally Posted by
Tomaski
Both of these documents provide the operator the authority to dispatch an aircraft with certain systems or components that are inoperative, degraded or missing. There are usually some maintenance actions and operational limitations associated with a particular inoperative component. If a system is not listed in either of these two documents, then that system must be fully operational for dispatch. There are many aircraft systems and components that are not in the MEL or CDL.
Yes, no argument there.
My point in response to the previous poster's question was simply that, given that crews were initially unaware of the existence of something called MCAS, then by definition it could not have been an item in the MEL/CDL.