Thought maintenance supervisor had MEL'd cabin emergency lights legally.

Attributes
ACN	196371
Time
Date	199112
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : nas
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 225
ASRS Report	196371
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

Upon preflting the aircraft the first officer and I discovered that some of the emergency lights in the passenger cabin were inoperative. Reading our MEL in the aircraft I thought it was vague in stating whether or not it could be MEL'ed or flight crew placarded. I decided to call maintenance control at headquarters, using the radio on the aircraft. He asked a few questions and then stated I would be ok for flight. He gave me a MEL number over the radio and stated that it would be ok for a flight crew placard. His radio transmission was garbled and difficult to understand. For this reason I wrote down the wrong number in the maintenance logbook. My second mistake was that I failed to verify the number in the MEL book. I realized my mistake when I arrived at the destination. Looking back now, I put my trust in the maintenance controller when I should have made my own judgement. I also became rushed because it was 15 mins before departure. In the future, I think pilots should make maintenance write ups by what they have in the MEL book and not by what is verbally communicated to them by someone in authority.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THOUGHT MAINT SUPVR HAD MEL'D CABIN EMER LIGHTS LEGALLY.

Narrative: UPON PREFLTING THE ACFT THE FO AND I DISCOVERED THAT SOME OF THE EMER LIGHTS IN THE PAX CABIN WERE INOP. READING OUR MEL IN THE ACFT I THOUGHT IT WAS VAGUE IN STATING WHETHER OR NOT IT COULD BE MEL'ED OR FLC PLACARDED. I DECIDED TO CALL MAINT CTL AT HEADQUARTERS, USING THE RADIO ON THE ACFT. HE ASKED A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN STATED I WOULD BE OK FOR FLT. HE GAVE ME A MEL NUMBER OVER THE RADIO AND STATED THAT IT WOULD BE OK FOR A FLC PLACARD. HIS RADIO XMISSION WAS GARBLED AND DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND. FOR THIS REASON I WROTE DOWN THE WRONG NUMBER IN THE MAINT LOGBOOK. MY SECOND MISTAKE WAS THAT I FAILED TO VERIFY THE NUMBER IN THE MEL BOOK. I REALIZED MY MISTAKE WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE DEST. LOOKING BACK NOW, I PUT MY TRUST IN THE MAINT CTLR WHEN I SHOULD HAVE MADE MY OWN JUDGEMENT. I ALSO BECAME RUSHED BECAUSE IT WAS 15 MINS BEFORE DEP. IN THE FUTURE, I THINK PLTS SHOULD MAKE MAINT WRITE UPS BY WHAT THEY HAVE IN THE MEL BOOK AND NOT BY WHAT IS VERBALLY COMMUNICATED TO THEM BY SOMEONE IN AUTHORITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.