Narrative:

The #1 engine 'fuel valve open' advisory light bulb was not working. While I was away from aircraft, a mechanic, who was summoned by my first officer came and fixed the light by simply moving the panel that the light is mounted in, he fixed the light. I had made no write-up in the maintenance log, and neither did he. An FAA inspector, who was listening in on our company radio and heard my first officer's call, came out to inspect after I had returned from buying breakfast. The inspector said there should have been a maintenance write-up. He also said he had contacted our pmi, and that he would look into it as well. Later that day, I was able to talk to the mechanic. When I found out that the light came on from merely 'jarring' the panel, I too could see that no 'maintenance' had been performed -- no write-up necessary. Perhaps the FAA inspectors aren't aware that our aircraft carry, as standard equipment, a full variety of light bulbs as well as many other parts/spares that pilots (as well as mechanics) are authority/authorized (and expected) to use. Each originating aircraft has the pilots opening access panels, re-setting circuit breakers, without any write-up. We are expected to climb ladders and mechanically 'dip' fuel tanks (when fuel quantity gauges are inoperative). We are to hand pump hydraulic parking break pressure up to minimum levels, when necessary (this involves opening landing gear/doors and using a special stowed and secured hand pump tool) with no write-up. Supplemental information from acn 595460: we noticed a light bulb had burned out in-flight on our route from rdu to dca. On the in-range call, we requested maintenance. He came out to the plane when we landed. The captain went inside, so when maintenance came on I showed him the light bulb that was not working. I went to the restroom, and when I came out, maintenance was leaving. He said that he did not replace the bulb that he touched the panel, and the light came on. Then he left. I thought that the captain had wrote the problem up and maintenance signed it off. The min he left, the FAA came on board and asked to see the paperwork, because he heard we called for maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DHC-8 FLT CREW IS CHIDED AND WRITTEN UP BY AN ACI FOR NOT ENTERING A FUNCTIONING FUEL VALVE LIGHT INTO THE LOGBOOK PRIOR TO MAINT PERSONNEL ATTEMPTING A FIX AT DCA, DC.

Narrative: THE #1 ENG 'FUEL VALVE OPEN' ADVISORY LIGHT BULB WAS NOT WORKING. WHILE I WAS AWAY FROM ACFT, A MECH, WHO WAS SUMMONED BY MY FO CAME AND FIXED THE LIGHT BY SIMPLY MOVING THE PANEL THAT THE LIGHT IS MOUNTED IN, HE FIXED THE LIGHT. I HAD MADE NO WRITE-UP IN THE MAINT LOG, AND NEITHER DID HE. AN FAA INSPECTOR, WHO WAS LISTENING IN ON OUR COMPANY RADIO AND HEARD MY FO'S CALL, CAME OUT TO INSPECT AFTER I HAD RETURNED FROM BUYING BREAKFAST. THE INSPECTOR SAID THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A MAINT WRITE-UP. HE ALSO SAID HE HAD CONTACTED OUR PMI, AND THAT HE WOULD LOOK INTO IT AS WELL. LATER THAT DAY, I WAS ABLE TO TALK TO THE MECH. WHEN I FOUND OUT THAT THE LIGHT CAME ON FROM MERELY 'JARRING' THE PANEL, I TOO COULD SEE THAT NO 'MAINT' HAD BEEN PERFORMED -- NO WRITE-UP NECESSARY. PERHAPS THE FAA INSPECTORS AREN'T AWARE THAT OUR ACFT CARRY, AS STANDARD EQUIP, A FULL VARIETY OF LIGHT BULBS AS WELL AS MANY OTHER PARTS/SPARES THAT PLTS (AS WELL AS MECHS) ARE AUTH (AND EXPECTED) TO USE. EACH ORIGINATING ACFT HAS THE PLTS OPENING ACCESS PANELS, RE-SETTING CIRCUIT BREAKERS, WITHOUT ANY WRITE-UP. WE ARE EXPECTED TO CLB LADDERS AND MECHANICALLY 'DIP' FUEL TANKS (WHEN FUEL QUANTITY GAUGES ARE INOP). WE ARE TO HAND PUMP HYD PARKING BREAK PRESSURE UP TO MINIMUM LEVELS, WHEN NECESSARY (THIS INVOLVES OPENING LNDG GEAR/DOORS AND USING A SPECIAL STOWED AND SECURED HAND PUMP TOOL) WITH NO WRITE-UP. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 595460: WE NOTICED A LIGHT BULB HAD BURNED OUT INFLT ON OUR RTE FROM RDU TO DCA. ON THE IN-RANGE CALL, WE REQUESTED MAINT. HE CAME OUT TO THE PLANE WHEN WE LANDED. THE CAPT WENT INSIDE, SO WHEN MAINT CAME ON I SHOWED HIM THE LIGHT BULB THAT WAS NOT WORKING. I WENT TO THE RESTROOM, AND WHEN I CAME OUT, MAINT WAS LEAVING. HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT REPLACE THE BULB THAT HE TOUCHED THE PANEL, AND THE LIGHT CAME ON. THEN HE LEFT. I THOUGHT THAT THE CAPT HAD WROTE THE PROB UP AND MAINT SIGNED IT OFF. THE MIN HE LEFT, THE FAA CAME ON BOARD AND ASKED TO SEE THE PAPERWORK, BECAUSE HE HEARD WE CALLED FOR MAINT.

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.