An MD80 cockpit overhead annunciator lighting was reported twice by the same crew on separate days a...

Attributes
ACN	412148
Time
Date	199808
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
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zma
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	412148
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On oct/xa/98, aircraft xyz came into my gate at ZZZ with 5 inbound write-ups on lights being inoperative on the overhead annunciator panel and no spare bulbs. The aircraft was late coming in and slow to unload. So when I got to the cockpit the outbound crew were in with me. I perceived that the tabs referred to in the write-up was the locking tabs on the panel. Without the panel locked down the bulb will not contact the terminal and not light. I checked the panels for security and found them to be securely in place. I pressed the test switch and was surprised to find all but 2 blank annunciators lit brightly. The outbound captain also checked it and said he saw no problem either. I replenished the spare lamp kit and signed off the write-ups as found obviously svcable no dark spots noted. The aircraft flew for 3 days with no other crew reports on the annunciator lights until the same pilot went through the pink pages in the logbook and wrote them up again near verbatim. I did address the problem in the very short period of time that I had and determined that the annunciator was svcable.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 COCKPIT OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTING WAS RPTED TWICE BY THE SAME CREW ON SEPARATE DAYS AND WAS CLRED BY A MECH AFTER CHKING OK.

Narrative: ON OCT/XA/98, ACFT XYZ CAME INTO MY GATE AT ZZZ WITH 5 INBOUND WRITE-UPS ON LIGHTS BEING INOP ON THE OVERHEAD ANNUNCIATOR PANEL AND NO SPARE BULBS. THE ACFT WAS LATE COMING IN AND SLOW TO UNLOAD. SO WHEN I GOT TO THE COCKPIT THE OUTBOUND CREW WERE IN WITH ME. I PERCEIVED THAT THE TABS REFERRED TO IN THE WRITE-UP WAS THE LOCKING TABS ON THE PANEL. WITHOUT THE PANEL LOCKED DOWN THE BULB WILL NOT CONTACT THE TERMINAL AND NOT LIGHT. I CHKED THE PANELS FOR SECURITY AND FOUND THEM TO BE SECURELY IN PLACE. I PRESSED THE TEST SWITCH AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND ALL BUT 2 BLANK ANNUNCIATORS LIT BRIGHTLY. THE OUTBOUND CAPT ALSO CHKED IT AND SAID HE SAW NO PROB EITHER. I REPLENISHED THE SPARE LAMP KIT AND SIGNED OFF THE WRITE-UPS AS FOUND OBVIOUSLY SVCABLE NO DARK SPOTS NOTED. THE ACFT FLEW FOR 3 DAYS WITH NO OTHER CREW RPTS ON THE ANNUNCIATOR LIGHTS UNTIL THE SAME PLT WENT THROUGH THE PINK PAGES IN THE LOGBOOK AND WROTE THEM UP AGAIN NEAR VERBATIM. I DID ADDRESS THE PROB IN THE VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT I HAD AND DETERMINED THAT THE ANNUNCIATOR WAS SVCABLE.

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.

An MD80 cockpit overhead annunciator lighting was reported twice by the same crew on separate days and was cleared by a mechanic after checking ok.