Narrative:

When I arrived at the airplane and reviewed the logbook, I noted a write-up and sign-off regarding several ceiling emergency light bezels that were missing and deferred. I called maintenance and asked if they could send someone out to explain the item and how it had been deferred. When the mechanic arrived, he said he needed to check with maintenance control technician regarding the item. He asked me to take the phone so the representative in maintenance control could explain it to me. The representative in maintenance control explained to me that it was only the light covers that were missing and not the emergency light itself. He stated that the lights worked and were not affected. He stated that the sign-off was correct in this situation. The mechanic also agreed that the signoff was correct and we were ok to depart. Upon arrival at ZZZ, a mechanic came into the cockpit and asked for the logbook. He told me that the FAA had become aware of the item and that it may have not been properly handled. I felt that after calling this item to the attention of ZZZ1 maintenance as well as maintenance control technician, and being assured by both that the item had been handled correctly, I was correct in taking the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 WAS DISPATCHED WITH SEVERAL EMER LIGHT BEZELS MISSING BUT LIGHT OP NORMAL. ON ARR, FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR CHKED ITEM.

Narrative: WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE AIRPLANE AND REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK, I NOTED A WRITE-UP AND SIGN-OFF REGARDING SEVERAL CEILING EMER LIGHT BEZELS THAT WERE MISSING AND DEFERRED. I CALLED MAINT AND ASKED IF THEY COULD SEND SOMEONE OUT TO EXPLAIN THE ITEM AND HOW IT HAD BEEN DEFERRED. WHEN THE MECH ARRIVED, HE SAID HE NEEDED TO CHK WITH MAINT CTL TECHNICIAN REGARDING THE ITEM. HE ASKED ME TO TAKE THE PHONE SO THE REPRESENTATIVE IN MAINT CTL COULD EXPLAIN IT TO ME. THE REPRESENTATIVE IN MAINT CTL EXPLAINED TO ME THAT IT WAS ONLY THE LIGHT COVERS THAT WERE MISSING AND NOT THE EMER LIGHT ITSELF. HE STATED THAT THE LIGHTS WORKED AND WERE NOT AFFECTED. HE STATED THAT THE SIGN-OFF WAS CORRECT IN THIS SIT. THE MECH ALSO AGREED THAT THE SIGNOFF WAS CORRECT AND WE WERE OK TO DEPART. UPON ARR AT ZZZ, A MECH CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ASKED FOR THE LOGBOOK. HE TOLD ME THAT THE FAA HAD BECOME AWARE OF THE ITEM AND THAT IT MAY HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY HANDLED. I FELT THAT AFTER CALLING THIS ITEM TO THE ATTN OF ZZZ1 MAINT AS WELL AS MAINT CTL TECHNICIAN, AND BEING ASSURED BY BOTH THAT THE ITEM HAD BEEN HANDLED CORRECTLY, I WAS CORRECT IN TAKING THE ACFT.

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.