An air carrier md-88 flew with its INS or IRS 'battery' light on.

Attributes
ACN	263166
Time
Date	199402
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	263166
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3200 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	262858
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other
Situations
Publication	Unspecified

Narrative:

An INS battery low light message came on. There is a confusion whether this is a go/no-go item. Even a line check airman who I asked was confused. There are 2 engine driven generators plus APU generator available or need to fail before the loss of the INS. I have learned after the fact that I might have taken the aircraft incorrectly, I wish some of the legalities were not so nebulous. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the md-88 for a major united states air carrier on overland rtes only. Some of his air carrier's md-88's have the INS, and others do not. The aircraft with the INS use it as the primary attitude reference system in addition to the navigation capabilities. The reporter has not yet gotten any satisfaction from his flight supervisors, although he has asked for guidance. He believes that the maintenance personnel were trying to have him move the aircraft onto a station where it could be fixed. The aircraft with INS have arrived 'on the property' after the reporter went to school on the aircraft. Most crewpersons have not been properly trained in its use. Supplemental information from acn 262858: during our preflight checklists, I noticed the amber 'battery fail' light illuminated on the #2 IRS mode select panel. Air traffic controller in the jump seat. I advised the captain we should not go. Finally took the flight plan (it had the dispatcher's number on it) and left the cockpit mentioning he was calling the dispatcher/maintenance coordinator. 3-5 mins later he got into his seat, he said 'we have dispatcher's approval and let's go.' my frame of mind was he must have found something via the telephone call and I missed it in the books. The light remained 'on' throughout the flight. At the arrival station I decided to get my reference for future knowledge. I asked the captain for a reference. This was my first indication that something seemed wrong. The captain never really gave me an answer and kept avoiding the discussion, especially the 'dispatcher's approval.' I don't really know if the captain ever talked to the dispatcher.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MD-88 FLEW WITH ITS INS OR IRS 'BATTERY' LIGHT ON.

Narrative: AN INS BATTERY LOW LIGHT MESSAGE CAME ON. THERE IS A CONFUSION WHETHER THIS IS A GO/NO-GO ITEM. EVEN A LINE CHK AIRMAN WHO I ASKED WAS CONFUSED. THERE ARE 2 ENG DRIVEN GENERATORS PLUS APU GENERATOR AVAILABLE OR NEED TO FAIL BEFORE THE LOSS OF THE INS. I HAVE LEARNED AFTER THE FACT THAT I MIGHT HAVE TAKEN THE ACFT INCORRECTLY, I WISH SOME OF THE LEGALITIES WERE NOT SO NEBULOUS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE MD-88 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR ON OVERLAND RTES ONLY. SOME OF HIS ACR'S MD-88'S HAVE THE INS, AND OTHERS DO NOT. THE ACFT WITH THE INS USE IT AS THE PRIMARY ATTITUDE REF SYS IN ADDITION TO THE NAV CAPABILITIES. THE RPTR HAS NOT YET GOTTEN ANY SATISFACTION FROM HIS FLT SUPVRS, ALTHOUGH HE HAS ASKED FOR GUIDANCE. HE BELIEVES THAT THE MAINT PERSONNEL WERE TRYING TO HAVE HIM MOVE THE ACFT ONTO A STATION WHERE IT COULD BE FIXED. THE ACFT WITH INS HAVE ARRIVED 'ON THE PROPERTY' AFTER THE RPTR WENT TO SCHOOL ON THE ACFT. MOST CREWPERSONS HAVE NOT BEEN PROPERLY TRAINED IN ITS USE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 262858: DURING OUR PREFLT CHKLISTS, I NOTICED THE AMBER 'BATTERY FAIL' LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE #2 IRS MODE SELECT PANEL. AIR TFC CTLR IN THE JUMP SEAT. I ADVISED THE CAPT WE SHOULD NOT GO. FINALLY TOOK THE FLT PLAN (IT HAD THE DISPATCHER'S NUMBER ON IT) AND LEFT THE COCKPIT MENTIONING HE WAS CALLING THE DISPATCHER/MAINT COORDINATOR. 3-5 MINS LATER HE GOT INTO HIS SEAT, HE SAID 'WE HAVE DISPATCHER'S APPROVAL AND LET'S GO.' MY FRAME OF MIND WAS HE MUST HAVE FOUND SOMETHING VIA THE TELEPHONE CALL AND I MISSED IT IN THE BOOKS. THE LIGHT REMAINED 'ON' THROUGHOUT THE FLT. AT THE ARR STATION I DECIDED TO GET MY REF FOR FUTURE KNOWLEDGE. I ASKED THE CAPT FOR A REF. THIS WAS MY FIRST INDICATION THAT SOMETHING SEEMED WRONG. THE CAPT NEVER REALLY GAVE ME AN ANSWER AND KEPT AVOIDING THE DISCUSSION, ESPECIALLY THE 'DISPATCHER'S APPROVAL.' I DON'T REALLY KNOW IF THE CAPT EVER TALKED TO THE DISPATCHER.

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.