Narrative:

While performing the standby power check, I do remember that the standby power-off light did not illuminate. However, since the actual power showed a disconnect on the gauges, it did not occur to me that the light was also supposed to illuminate. En route to phx on our 5 hour flight, I began looking around at gauges and thumbing through my fom reviewing different procedures, when it occurred to me that I should look up the procedure for the standby power check. I found that the standby power light must illuminate when the standby power switch is moved to off. When we arrived in phx, I once again performed the standby power test, and sure enough, the light remained out when the switch was placed to the off position. Maintenance was able to make the light come on once, but he decided to change the relay for the standby power light as he felt it was going bad. A while back there was an article from the chief pilots asking us where our own preflts had gotten sloppy, and to examine our preflts to make them more accurate. I had allowed that portion of my preflight to slip. Just as I review basic limitations on a regular basis for models of the B737, I rarely fly, I must know in the future to review the procedures for am flts after I have had a long spell of pm flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B733 PERFORMED STANDBY ELECTRICAL PWR TEST INCORRECTLY DURING PREFLT. FLEW SUBSEQUENT LEG WITH STANDBY SYS THAT WAS NOT FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING THE STANDBY PWR CHK, I DO REMEMBER THAT THE STANDBY PWR-OFF LIGHT DID NOT ILLUMINATE. HOWEVER, SINCE THE ACTUAL PWR SHOWED A DISCONNECT ON THE GAUGES, IT DID NOT OCCUR TO ME THAT THE LIGHT WAS ALSO SUPPOSED TO ILLUMINATE. ENRTE TO PHX ON OUR 5 HR FLT, I BEGAN LOOKING AROUND AT GAUGES AND THUMBING THROUGH MY FOM REVIEWING DIFFERENT PROCS, WHEN IT OCCURRED TO ME THAT I SHOULD LOOK UP THE PROC FOR THE STANDBY PWR CHK. I FOUND THAT THE STANDBY PWR LIGHT MUST ILLUMINATE WHEN THE STANDBY PWR SWITCH IS MOVED TO OFF. WHEN WE ARRIVED IN PHX, I ONCE AGAIN PERFORMED THE STANDBY PWR TEST, AND SURE ENOUGH, THE LIGHT REMAINED OUT WHEN THE SWITCH WAS PLACED TO THE OFF POS. MAINT WAS ABLE TO MAKE THE LIGHT COME ON ONCE, BUT HE DECIDED TO CHANGE THE RELAY FOR THE STANDBY PWR LIGHT AS HE FELT IT WAS GOING BAD. A WHILE BACK THERE WAS AN ARTICLE FROM THE CHIEF PLTS ASKING US WHERE OUR OWN PREFLTS HAD GOTTEN SLOPPY, AND TO EXAMINE OUR PREFLTS TO MAKE THEM MORE ACCURATE. I HAD ALLOWED THAT PORTION OF MY PREFLT TO SLIP. JUST AS I REVIEW BASIC LIMITATIONS ON A REGULAR BASIS FOR MODELS OF THE B737, I RARELY FLY, I MUST KNOW IN THE FUTURE TO REVIEW THE PROCS FOR AM FLTS AFTER I HAVE HAD A LONG SPELL OF PM FLTS.

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.