Narrative:

During our layover at [FBO] we were boarded by 2 aviation department officials to conduct a safa check. During the check they had the crew turn on the cabin emergency lights to check bulb operation. They took note of bulbs being out in 3 fixtures. PIC (pilot in command) immediately emailed maintenance control while myself and the officials began investing the MEL for relief. None was found. I looked at the mmel in [program] and found relief in there. The french officials indicated it was nearly impossible to get gulfstream maintenance and said they wouldn't include the emergency lights in their findable actions on the check. They said to notify our maintenance department when we arrive back at ZZZZ where maintenance is easier obtained. This safa event took 1:20 and we only had approximately 30 minutes to make the plane ready for our revenue trip back to ZZZZ. Immediately after they left 3 customs officers boarded the aircraft and began asking for documentation and questioning the legitimacy of the revenue leg. By this point the crew was anxious to leave france and passengers were in the lobby going through copious amounts of additional screening with the PIC. During all this an email was received by the PIC saying maintenance will be arranged in ZZZZ1. We departed without writing up the emergency lights in france and wrote them immediately after landing. The stress placed on the crew by customs by threatening to impound the aircraft and heavily fine the owner placed an undue urgency to depart without properly documenting the discrepancy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Gulfstream IV flight crew reported cabin emergency lights were inoperative; requiring MEL action.

Narrative: During our layover at [FBO] we were boarded by 2 Aviation Department officials to conduct a SAFA check. During the check they had the crew turn on the cabin emergency lights to check bulb operation. They took note of bulbs being out in 3 fixtures. PIC (Pilot in Command) immediately emailed Maintenance Control while myself and the officials began investing the MEL for relief. None was found. I looked at the MMEL in [program] and found relief in there. The French officials indicated it was nearly impossible to get Gulfstream Maintenance and said they wouldn't include the emergency lights in their findable actions on the check. They said to notify our Maintenance Department when we arrive back at ZZZZ where maintenance is easier obtained. This SAFA event took 1:20 and we only had approximately 30 minutes to make the plane ready for our revenue trip back to ZZZZ. Immediately after they left 3 Customs Officers boarded the aircraft and began asking for documentation and questioning the legitimacy of the revenue leg. By this point the crew was anxious to leave France and passengers were in the lobby going through copious amounts of additional screening with the PIC. During all this an email was received by the PIC saying maintenance will be arranged in ZZZZ1. We departed without writing up the emergency lights in France and wrote them immediately after landing. The stress placed on the crew by Customs by threatening to impound the aircraft and heavily fine the owner placed an undue urgency to depart without properly documenting the discrepancy.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.