Narrative:

Reported to aircraft 35 min prior to departure. 1 maintenance item in logbook carried over, 'right wing green navigation light out.' first officer reported discussion with maintenance personnel on walk around revealed 1 (of 2?) lights in right wing tip was out and entire assembly would have to be replaced at downline station. MEL stated green light on right wingtip required for night operations. At en route stop, flight control called captain (me) to operations and said operation was not legal. His information was that left wingtip white light was inoperative. He was cancelling remainder of flight and flag stopping another aircraft to accommodate our (few) passenger. I told him I had just walked around the aircraft and we had navigation lights burning at every position. Still concerned about the writeup and unwilling to reverse course on events he put in motion, flight was cancelled. Since I had been concerned about WX at our original departure station, the light situation was resolved and put away in my mind. Perhaps the maintenance irregularity entered in the logbook was not specific enough to describe the situation as it actually was. Certainly, erroneous information was passed to company maintenance and flight control. I do not believe the flight was operated illegally, however, in the future I will pay greater attention to maintenance carry-over items.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AT ENRTE STOP OF MLG, FLT WAS CANCELED BECAUSE OF INFO THAT NIGHT NAV WING TIP WHITE LIGHT L WING WAS OUT.

Narrative: RPTED TO ACFT 35 MIN PRIOR TO DEP. 1 MAINT ITEM IN LOGBOOK CARRIED OVER, 'R WING GREEN NAV LIGHT OUT.' FO RPTED DISCUSSION WITH MAINT PERSONNEL ON WALK AROUND REVEALED 1 (OF 2?) LIGHTS IN R WING TIP WAS OUT AND ENTIRE ASSEMBLY WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT DOWNLINE STATION. MEL STATED GREEN LIGHT ON R WINGTIP REQUIRED FOR NIGHT OPS. AT ENRTE STOP, FLT CTL CALLED CAPT (ME) TO OPS AND SAID OP WAS NOT LEGAL. HIS INFO WAS THAT L WINGTIP WHITE LIGHT WAS INOP. HE WAS CANCELLING REMAINDER OF FLT AND FLAG STOPPING ANOTHER ACFT TO ACCOMMODATE OUR (FEW) PAX. I TOLD HIM I HAD JUST WALKED AROUND THE ACFT AND WE HAD NAV LIGHTS BURNING AT EVERY POS. STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE WRITEUP AND UNWILLING TO REVERSE COURSE ON EVENTS HE PUT IN MOTION, FLT WAS CANCELLED. SINCE I HAD BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT WX AT OUR ORIGINAL DEP STATION, THE LIGHT SITUATION WAS RESOLVED AND PUT AWAY IN MY MIND. PERHAPS THE MAINT IRREGULARITY ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK WAS NOT SPECIFIC ENOUGH TO DESCRIBE THE SITUATION AS IT ACTUALLY WAS. CERTAINLY, ERRONEOUS INFO WAS PASSED TO COMPANY MAINT AND FLT CTL. I DO NOT BELIEVE THE FLT WAS OPERATED ILLEGALLY, HOWEVER, IN THE FUTURE I WILL PAY GREATER ATTN TO MAINT CARRY-OVER ITEMS.

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.