Definition
A written record kept in the aircraft documenting any inoperative equipment that has been deferred under the Minimum Equipment List (MEL). The record identifies the inoperative item, the date it was deferred, the deferral category, any required maintenance or operational procedures applied, and the date by which the item must be repaired.
Plain English
A logbook entry that shows something on the airplane is broken, that it has been formally allowed to stay broken for a set period under the MEL rules, and what has to be done because of it.
Context Anchor
Seen during preflight planning, aircraft dispatch, and maintenance review when an airplane has equipment that is not working but may still be flown under an approved MEL.
Derivation
Deferral comes from a word meaning to put off or postpone. Record means a written account kept so something is not forgotten. Together, the term means a written account of a repair that has been legally postponed under the MEL.
Why Pilots Care
Maintains regulatory compliance, prevents inadvertent operation outside MEL limits, and ensures subsequent crews know exactly which equipment is unavailable.
Intuition Check
A deferral does not mean ignoring a broken item. It means the item has been checked against the approved MEL, written down, and allowed to remain unrepaired only under the stated limits.
Example Sentence 1
During preflight, the pilot reviewed the MEL deferral record and confirmed the inoperative landing light had been placarded and was within its repair interval.
Example Sentence 2
The next crew reviewed the MEL Deferral Record to confirm the landing light remained within its deferral window.