B737-300 crew did not insure an MEL item was added to the dispatch release.

Attributes
ACN	493680
Time
Date	200012
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 240 flight time total : 25000 flight time type : 10000
ASRS Report	493680
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

The captain's fluorescent backgnd light was intermittent and I called maintenance in range to have it replaced. We had 40+ mins on the ground (plenty of time to replace unit). The mechanic said he would be happy to MEL the light, which he did. It was close to push time and I forgot to call dispatch to amend the release. I called dispatch on arrival in ont and informed him what I had done and had the outbound release amended for the next crew, but it was too late for my flight. I had already made the boo-boo by forgetting to call in ZZZ. The dispatcher had not been informed by maintenance even by the time we completed our flight, so the next release didn't show the MEL item. Factors: 1) I was somewhat frustrated with the mechanic's lack of interest in repairing the light. 2) the backgnd light is not an extremely significant item. 3) I had already signed the agent's copy of the release, checked and put my copy on the clipboard and accomplished my flows for the next leg. 4) no more excuses, I just didn't think to call the dispatcher until we were airborne, then decided to call when we landed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-300 CREW DID NOT INSURE AN MEL ITEM WAS ADDED TO THE DISPATCH RELEASE.

Narrative: THE CAPT'S FLUORESCENT BACKGND LIGHT WAS INTERMITTENT AND I CALLED MAINT IN RANGE TO HAVE IT REPLACED. WE HAD 40+ MINS ON THE GND (PLENTY OF TIME TO REPLACE UNIT). THE MECH SAID HE WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEL THE LIGHT, WHICH HE DID. IT WAS CLOSE TO PUSH TIME AND I FORGOT TO CALL DISPATCH TO AMEND THE RELEASE. I CALLED DISPATCH ON ARR IN ONT AND INFORMED HIM WHAT I HAD DONE AND HAD THE OUTBOUND RELEASE AMENDED FOR THE NEXT CREW, BUT IT WAS TOO LATE FOR MY FLT. I HAD ALREADY MADE THE BOO-BOO BY FORGETTING TO CALL IN ZZZ. THE DISPATCHER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED BY MAINT EVEN BY THE TIME WE COMPLETED OUR FLT, SO THE NEXT RELEASE DIDN'T SHOW THE MEL ITEM. FACTORS: 1) I WAS SOMEWHAT FRUSTRATED WITH THE MECH'S LACK OF INTEREST IN REPAIRING THE LIGHT. 2) THE BACKGND LIGHT IS NOT AN EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT ITEM. 3) I HAD ALREADY SIGNED THE AGENT'S COPY OF THE RELEASE, CHKED AND PUT MY COPY ON THE CLIPBOARD AND ACCOMPLISHED MY FLOWS FOR THE NEXT LEG. 4) NO MORE EXCUSES, I JUST DIDN'T THINK TO CALL THE DISPATCHER UNTIL WE WERE AIRBORNE, THEN DECIDED TO CALL WHEN WE LANDED.

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.