Narrative:

I was accomplishing the cockpit preflight inspection, when I discovered a possible problem. I went inside to call maintenance control and inform them of my entry into the maintenance log. The gist of the entry was when I selected lamp test #1, not all of the cockpit lights and buttons illuminated. The maintenance controller stated that he could defer the item under 33-11-1 in our MEL (cockpit lighting). I questioned him about the deferral as to whether or not it was the proper MEL number. He replied that it was. We departed with no further problem. En route, the flight crew noticed that the lights on the overhead panel were flickering. We radioed maintenance control and they informed us that it was a lamp drive unit that was going bad. I asked if this had anything to do with our previous deferral. After I informed maintenance control of our deferral, he said there may be a problem. After landing I learned that maintenance control had deferred the item improperly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT MEL REF AND PROCS FOR INOP COCKPIT LIGHTING.

Narrative: I WAS ACCOMPLISHING THE COCKPIT PREFLT INSPECTION, WHEN I DISCOVERED A POSSIBLE PROB. I WENT INSIDE TO CALL MAINT CTL AND INFORM THEM OF MY ENTRY INTO THE MAINT LOG. THE GIST OF THE ENTRY WAS WHEN I SELECTED LAMP TEST #1, NOT ALL OF THE COCKPIT LIGHTS AND BUTTONS ILLUMINATED. THE MAINT CTLR STATED THAT HE COULD DEFER THE ITEM UNDER 33-11-1 IN OUR MEL (COCKPIT LIGHTING). I QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT THE DEFERRAL AS TO WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS THE PROPER MEL NUMBER. HE REPLIED THAT IT WAS. WE DEPARTED WITH NO FURTHER PROB. ENRTE, THE FLC NOTICED THAT THE LIGHTS ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL WERE FLICKERING. WE RADIOED MAINT CTL AND THEY INFORMED US THAT IT WAS A LAMP DRIVE UNIT THAT WAS GOING BAD. I ASKED IF THIS HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH OUR PREVIOUS DEFERRAL. AFTER I INFORMED MAINT CTL OF OUR DEFERRAL, HE SAID THERE MAY BE A PROB. AFTER LNDG I LEARNED THAT MAINT CTL HAD DEFERRED THE ITEM IMPROPERLY.

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.