Narrative:

This report has to do with maintenance write-ups. During preflight walkaround in the dark, the first officer noticed a white position light out on the right wing. A mechanic from another major airline used a spare bulb from our supply in the cockpit to replace and fix the bulb. I consulted over the phone with my airline's maintenance and dispatcher. We do not have mechanics at that station. My airline's mechanic assumed I would write up the light bulb in the aircraft logbook and have the other airline's mechanic sign it off. I did not do this for several reasons. First, since my airline's mechanic did not ask me to, I did not. Second, at stations where my airline has maintenance, this situation does not require a pilot write-up in the logbook. A bulb out was fixed by our mechanic and he entered it in the computer. I assumed the mechanic over the phone would do this negating the need for a write-up. Third, it was early, we were tired and rushed to get underway. This was the third day of a 3 day trip. Later in the same day, I talked to the same mechanic over the phone to find out what I did wrong and why my airline's mechanic did put the light bulb replacement in the computer to cover for me. However, I should have written up the bulb and had it signed off by the other airline's mechanic so the aircraft logbook and the computer records match. New capts at our airline do not get training on handling such sits. We are to rely on experience and mechanics we can call on the phone. I should have known better regardless of our training. I do know better now! Experience is a great teacher.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 PIC RPT ON FAILING TO ENTER A MINOR REQUIRED MAINT ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK PRIOR TO HAVING A WING LIGHT BULB CHANGED AT ZZZ, US.

Narrative: THIS RPT HAS TO DO WITH MAINT WRITE-UPS. DURING PREFLT WALKAROUND IN THE DARK, THE FO NOTICED A WHITE POS LIGHT OUT ON THE R WING. A MECH FROM ANOTHER MAJOR AIRLINE USED A SPARE BULB FROM OUR SUPPLY IN THE COCKPIT TO REPLACE AND FIX THE BULB. I CONSULTED OVER THE PHONE WITH MY AIRLINE'S MAINT AND DISPATCHER. WE DO NOT HAVE MECHS AT THAT STATION. MY AIRLINE'S MECH ASSUMED I WOULD WRITE UP THE LIGHT BULB IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND HAVE THE OTHER AIRLINE'S MECH SIGN IT OFF. I DID NOT DO THIS FOR SEVERAL REASONS. FIRST, SINCE MY AIRLINE'S MECH DID NOT ASK ME TO, I DID NOT. SECOND, AT STATIONS WHERE MY AIRLINE HAS MAINT, THIS SIT DOES NOT REQUIRE A PLT WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. A BULB OUT WAS FIXED BY OUR MECH AND HE ENTERED IT IN THE COMPUTER. I ASSUMED THE MECH OVER THE PHONE WOULD DO THIS NEGATING THE NEED FOR A WRITE-UP. THIRD, IT WAS EARLY, WE WERE TIRED AND RUSHED TO GET UNDERWAY. THIS WAS THE THIRD DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. LATER IN THE SAME DAY, I TALKED TO THE SAME MECH OVER THE PHONE TO FIND OUT WHAT I DID WRONG AND WHY MY AIRLINE'S MECH DID PUT THE LIGHT BULB REPLACEMENT IN THE COMPUTER TO COVER FOR ME. HOWEVER, I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP THE BULB AND HAD IT SIGNED OFF BY THE OTHER AIRLINE'S MECH SO THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND THE COMPUTER RECORDS MATCH. NEW CAPTS AT OUR AIRLINE DO NOT GET TRAINING ON HANDLING SUCH SITS. WE ARE TO RELY ON EXPERIENCE AND MECHS WE CAN CALL ON THE PHONE. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER REGARDLESS OF OUR TRAINING. I DO KNOW BETTER NOW! EXPERIENCE IS A GREAT TEACHER.

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.