Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
How about deferred maintenance on the toilet? How long can a SkyWest CRJ-900 fly around with only one operable toilet?
Each item on the MEL in FAA 121 ops will also be designated with a "Repair Category" which delineates when the repairs must be made. The options are Category A, B, C, or D. While I can't say for sure what's in the MEL for a SkyWest CR9, most of the Lavatory systems that I've seen are Category C which are 10 days, not including the actual day of deferral. It's worth noting that Category B and C items can be extended on a one time basis with FAA notification. With that said, you would generally expect a Lav system to be fixed well before the full Repair interval. In fact, if you start to see a flight plan or logbook full of deferred items running right to their Category limits, that's a good sign of an overloaded MX system