MD80 flight crew has nose taxi lights inoperative. Flight crew requests lights to be repaired prior ...

Attributes
ACN	689761
Time
Date	200603
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord.airport
State Reference	IL
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Weather Elements	Ice Snow
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	689761
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Returning to the gate for deicing/inspection due to ice pellets. While taxiing back to the gate; both nose landing lights went inoperative. Maintenance came out and as I handed the logbook to the mechanic; I told him that I know that the MEL says you can placard both nose lights inoperative (both wing lights were working but worthless for taxiing!) and having just taxied without any nose lights I wanted at least 1 nose light to work. He said that he would call maintenance control and see what they said. I told him again; no nose light working and I will not take the aircraft. Mechanic comes back and says maintenance control says to placard the nose lights. I call dispatch and advise the dispatcher that I have no nose lights and will not operate the aircraft with both nose lights inoperative. The dispatcher says ok and asks me to have maintenance call her. This takes about 20 mins before maintenance decides to change the nose lights. Why do we allow the MEL to operate the aircraft at night without any nose lights? The wingtip lights are not effective for taxiing at night. The wingtip lights hang out over the edge of the taxiway. You cannot see the taxiway centerline. Allowing an aircraft to taxi around a complex airport without any nose lights at night with rain and snow is not a smart way to operate our aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 FLT CREW HAS NOSE TAXI LIGHTS INOP. FLT CREW REQUESTS LIGHTS TO BE REPAIRED PRIOR TO ACCEPTING THE ACFT FOR FLT.

Narrative: RETURNING TO THE GATE FOR DEICING/INSPECTION DUE TO ICE PELLETS. WHILE TAXIING BACK TO THE GATE; BOTH NOSE LNDG LIGHTS WENT INOP. MAINT CAME OUT AND AS I HANDED THE LOGBOOK TO THE MECH; I TOLD HIM THAT I KNOW THAT THE MEL SAYS YOU CAN PLACARD BOTH NOSE LIGHTS INOP (BOTH WING LIGHTS WERE WORKING BUT WORTHLESS FOR TAXIING!) AND HAVING JUST TAXIED WITHOUT ANY NOSE LIGHTS I WANTED AT LEAST 1 NOSE LIGHT TO WORK. HE SAID THAT HE WOULD CALL MAINT CTL AND SEE WHAT THEY SAID. I TOLD HIM AGAIN; NO NOSE LIGHT WORKING AND I WILL NOT TAKE THE ACFT. MECH COMES BACK AND SAYS MAINT CTL SAYS TO PLACARD THE NOSE LIGHTS. I CALL DISPATCH AND ADVISE THE DISPATCHER THAT I HAVE NO NOSE LIGHTS AND WILL NOT OPERATE THE ACFT WITH BOTH NOSE LIGHTS INOP. THE DISPATCHER SAYS OK AND ASKS ME TO HAVE MAINT CALL HER. THIS TAKES ABOUT 20 MINS BEFORE MAINT DECIDES TO CHANGE THE NOSE LIGHTS. WHY DO WE ALLOW THE MEL TO OPERATE THE ACFT AT NIGHT WITHOUT ANY NOSE LIGHTS? THE WINGTIP LIGHTS ARE NOT EFFECTIVE FOR TAXIING AT NIGHT. THE WINGTIP LIGHTS HANG OUT OVER THE EDGE OF THE TXWY. YOU CANNOT SEE THE TXWY CTRLINE. ALLOWING AN ACFT TO TAXI AROUND A COMPLEX ARPT WITHOUT ANY NOSE LIGHTS AT NIGHT WITH RAIN AND SNOW IS NOT A SMART WAY TO OPERATE OUR ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

MD80 flight crew has nose taxi lights inoperative. Flight crew requests lights to be repaired prior to accepting the aircraft for flight.