Narrative:

Flight arrived at our station from ZZZ. I performed a postflt walkaround inspection and found the nose taxi light assembly broken. I reported it to the pilot and went into the maintenance office to notify maintenance controller and seek relief. Maintenance controller and myself agreed that relief could be found under cdl 33-42-3.0. I asked maintenance controller what I should do to comply with cdl which gives no direction. Maintenance controller directed me to remove the assembly and secure and stow the conduit for the lamp. I removed the assembly and taped each terminal, on each wire, of the 2 wires for the taxi lamp. The wires were then fed through the attaching lugs for the assembly. I ensured no chaffing had or would occur by using extra tape. I also used extra ty-wraps for extra precaution. The MEL for the taxi light did not say to open the breaker for the taxi light. I wanted to for extra precaution, but the landing lights were also on that circuit, so as I said, I made sure the terminals were insulated from arcing. The aircraft was dispatched once I ensured that every possible scenario was covered. I would have much rather changed the whole assembly on the spot, but the part required was not in stock. I removed the assembly and attaching hardware and placed in a box after showing the captain the contents and placed on the flight deck for shipment to ZZZ1 per instructions from maintenance controller. The 2 wires for the lamp were insulated and then re-taped and then ty-wrapped to the connecting point for the assembly. Consequently, the taxi light was deferred per the cdl/MEL under 33-42-20. I ordered a new light assembly so corrective could occur as soon as possible. The cdl was/is vague in this incidence and I made every attempt to communicate this to maintenance controller. I cannot answer if the job was reworked once it left my station. If I could give some feedback, I would like to suggest a link in the master cdl that directs technicians to relief courses of action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 NOSE GEAR TAXI LIGHT ASSEMBLY AND LIGHT BRACKET WERE FOUND BROKEN. LIGHT AND BRACKET WERE REMOVED AND DEFERRED PER THE CDL.

Narrative: FLT ARRIVED AT OUR STATION FROM ZZZ. I PERFORMED A POSTFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION AND FOUND THE NOSE TAXI LIGHT ASSEMBLY BROKEN. I RPTED IT TO THE PLT AND WENT INTO THE MAINT OFFICE TO NOTIFY MAINT CTLR AND SEEK RELIEF. MAINT CTLR AND MYSELF AGREED THAT RELIEF COULD BE FOUND UNDER CDL 33-42-3.0. I ASKED MAINT CTLR WHAT I SHOULD DO TO COMPLY WITH CDL WHICH GIVES NO DIRECTION. MAINT CTLR DIRECTED ME TO REMOVE THE ASSEMBLY AND SECURE AND STOW THE CONDUIT FOR THE LAMP. I REMOVED THE ASSEMBLY AND TAPED EACH TERMINAL, ON EACH WIRE, OF THE 2 WIRES FOR THE TAXI LAMP. THE WIRES WERE THEN FED THROUGH THE ATTACHING LUGS FOR THE ASSEMBLY. I ENSURED NO CHAFFING HAD OR WOULD OCCUR BY USING EXTRA TAPE. I ALSO USED EXTRA TY-WRAPS FOR EXTRA PRECAUTION. THE MEL FOR THE TAXI LIGHT DID NOT SAY TO OPEN THE BREAKER FOR THE TAXI LIGHT. I WANTED TO FOR EXTRA PRECAUTION, BUT THE LNDG LIGHTS WERE ALSO ON THAT CIRCUIT, SO AS I SAID, I MADE SURE THE TERMINALS WERE INSULATED FROM ARCING. THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED ONCE I ENSURED THAT EVERY POSSIBLE SCENARIO WAS COVERED. I WOULD HAVE MUCH RATHER CHANGED THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY ON THE SPOT, BUT THE PART REQUIRED WAS NOT IN STOCK. I REMOVED THE ASSEMBLY AND ATTACHING HARDWARE AND PLACED IN A BOX AFTER SHOWING THE CAPT THE CONTENTS AND PLACED ON THE FLT DECK FOR SHIPMENT TO ZZZ1 PER INSTRUCTIONS FROM MAINT CTLR. THE 2 WIRES FOR THE LAMP WERE INSULATED AND THEN RE-TAPED AND THEN TY-WRAPPED TO THE CONNECTING POINT FOR THE ASSEMBLY. CONSEQUENTLY, THE TAXI LIGHT WAS DEFERRED PER THE CDL/MEL UNDER 33-42-20. I ORDERED A NEW LIGHT ASSEMBLY SO CORRECTIVE COULD OCCUR ASAP. THE CDL WAS/IS VAGUE IN THIS INCIDENCE AND I MADE EVERY ATTEMPT TO COMMUNICATE THIS TO MAINT CTLR. I CANNOT ANSWER IF THE JOB WAS REWORKED ONCE IT LEFT MY STATION. IF I COULD GIVE SOME FEEDBACK, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST A LINK IN THE MASTER CDL THAT DIRECTS TECHNICIANS TO RELIEF COURSES OF ACTION.

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.