SeniorD, on the 13th, kindly explained his recollection of history on MEL-Antiskid inop':
"... if dispatching an aircraft with an inop anti-skid ... so inherently unsafe then FAA would have already forced Boeing to delete MEL item ... inop anti-skids ... in the last 60 ... years ... 707, 727, 737, and DC-9/MD-80 family ... routinely and safely deferred ..."
Hmmm -- that option hasn't been the case for some years. For example, look at the DAC-transition from DC9 through their MD8 family, the MMEL does NOT offer the permissible-exception to the heavier models:
FAA's DC-9 MMEL ... 32- 4. ... Anti-Skid System ... (Series 10, 20, 30, 40, 50)
(O) May be inoperative provided:
a) Operations are conducted in accordance with performance data of the AFM ...
Note that the MMEL only offers the deferral option for the "little" DC9 series 10 thru 50 [NOT offered for the heavier DC9-80 models]. That is what caught my attention in this B737 MMEL -- still offering the deferral for Anti-Skid Inop'. That MEL-option seems wrong for later B73 models. [Edit: the MMEL Policy letter #113 (Dec2002) "MMEL Relief for Anti-Skid Inoperative" offers history, with the B737 under the pre-Amendment 92 customs:
Flight Standards Information System (FSIMS)
[INTERESTING point that PJ2 mentioned about A330-instrumentation with the sensor at the Brake Valve, to prevent crew from inciting "skid" [I've not seen that option on TBC nor DAC line aircraft].
Senior D --
for SWA employees, this case raises a PRIVACY issue: The NTSB ceased including NAMES in their "final" reports: Until about 1993, the NTSB's final AAR included an Appendix usually titled "Personnel Information", which printed the names of various pilots, FA, others involved. Recently, the Board has posted its "DOCKET" on the web for their investigations -- so now again anyone can easily find the NAMES of pilots, dispatchers, F/A's. Seems the management pilots attempted to have their names redacted -- but SWA dispatcher "P.S.", and the pilots, & FAs NAMES are again easily available in the newly available "docket" on the web.