B737-700 crew detected a slightly cracked landing light at sna. Crew wrote up a discrepancy when the...

Attributes
ACN	543846
Time
Date	200204
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sna.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : mic.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
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 : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 300 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 3500
ASRS Report	543846
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

During preflight of aircraft, found r-hand landing light bulb had a small crack at the 12 O'clock position. Closer examination led me to believe the light was svcable. It operated normally, so I did not write it up. When on the ground in sea, I called maintenance and requested a mechanic to check the bulb since we had 2 more legs to fly. The mechanic wrote up the light as broken, MEL'ed it, and we continued the next 2 legs. At the end of the day the crack had expanded and the bulb was fogged inside, now totally inoperative. The next morning a safety officer called me and told me that the mechanic had filed a safety report concerning the situation and advised me to file a NASA report and airline safety report. I am not sure what the problem is, since as a pilot we have to make judgement calls every day on cut tires, etc, but the mechanic must have felt safety had been compromised. I am not sure why, since landing lights can be burned out and we can continue to fly -- we can even MEL them as a pilot. The only solution to the problem is to show no judgement. If it isn't perfect, write it up, take the delay -- no matter what the problem. Sure is a sad state of affairs today.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 CREW DETECTED A SLIGHTLY CRACKED LNDG LIGHT AT SNA. CREW WROTE UP A DISCREPANCY WHEN THE BULB FINALLY FAILED.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT OF ACFT, FOUND R-HAND LNDG LIGHT BULB HAD A SMALL CRACK AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POS. CLOSER EXAMINATION LED ME TO BELIEVE THE LIGHT WAS SVCABLE. IT OPERATED NORMALLY, SO I DID NOT WRITE IT UP. WHEN ON THE GND IN SEA, I CALLED MAINT AND REQUESTED A MECH TO CHK THE BULB SINCE WE HAD 2 MORE LEGS TO FLY. THE MECH WROTE UP THE LIGHT AS BROKEN, MEL'ED IT, AND WE CONTINUED THE NEXT 2 LEGS. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE CRACK HAD EXPANDED AND THE BULB WAS FOGGED INSIDE, NOW TOTALLY INOP. THE NEXT MORNING A SAFETY OFFICER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE MECH HAD FILED A SAFETY RPT CONCERNING THE SIT AND ADVISED ME TO FILE A NASA RPT AND AIRLINE SAFETY RPT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE PROB IS, SINCE AS A PLT WE HAVE TO MAKE JUDGEMENT CALLS EVERY DAY ON CUT TIRES, ETC, BUT THE MECH MUST HAVE FELT SAFETY HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. I AM NOT SURE WHY, SINCE LNDG LIGHTS CAN BE BURNED OUT AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO FLY -- WE CAN EVEN MEL THEM AS A PLT. THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PROB IS TO SHOW NO JUDGEMENT. IF IT ISN'T PERFECT, WRITE IT UP, TAKE THE DELAY -- NO MATTER WHAT THE PROB. SURE IS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS TODAY.

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.

B737-700 crew detected a slightly cracked landing light at sna. Crew wrote up a discrepancy when the bulb finally failed.