Narrative:

At pushback time I had a reverser disagreement light on the overhead panel. I called dispatch and he put me on a telephone patch with him and maintenance control. The maintenance controller told me to push the reverser reset button. I asked if I could do that and was told by the controller that I could, that the airplane had a history of this problem and if I pushed the button and the light went out, it was ok to fly. I did that, the lights went out. The aircraft started ok and the reversers worked normally. I noted in the logbook that we had pushed the button and it operated normally. We then flew to chicago. When we got to chicago, the maintenance man in chicago said that it was illegal to do that because it was not signed off. I felt that since I was told by the maintenance controller and with the concurrence of the dispatcher that it was ok to operate and pushing the reset button was like resetting a circuit breaker. I, in no way, was intending to break any regulations and thought I was operating a safe flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF ACR LGT ACFT OPERATED ACFT WITHOUT PROPER MAINT RELEASE FOR DISCREPANCY 'WRITE UP.'

Narrative: AT PUSHBACK TIME I HAD A REVERSER DISAGREEMENT LIGHT ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL. I CALLED DISPATCH AND HE PUT ME ON A TELEPHONE PATCH WITH HIM AND MAINT CTL. THE MAINT CTLR TOLD ME TO PUSH THE REVERSER RESET BUTTON. I ASKED IF I COULD DO THAT AND WAS TOLD BY THE CTLR THAT I COULD, THAT THE AIRPLANE HAD A HISTORY OF THIS PROBLEM AND IF I PUSHED THE BUTTON AND THE LIGHT WENT OUT, IT WAS OK TO FLY. I DID THAT, THE LIGHTS WENT OUT. THE ACFT STARTED OK AND THE REVERSERS WORKED NORMALLY. I NOTED IN THE LOGBOOK THAT WE HAD PUSHED THE BUTTON AND IT OPERATED NORMALLY. WE THEN FLEW TO CHICAGO. WHEN WE GOT TO CHICAGO, THE MAINT MAN IN CHICAGO SAID THAT IT WAS ILLEGAL TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SIGNED OFF. I FELT THAT SINCE I WAS TOLD BY THE MAINT CTLR AND WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF THE DISPATCHER THAT IT WAS OK TO OPERATE AND PUSHING THE RESET BUTTON WAS LIKE RESETTING A CIRCUIT BREAKER. I, IN NO WAY, WAS INTENDING TO BREAK ANY REGS AND THOUGHT I WAS OPERATING A SAFE FLT.

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.