Narrative:

On preflight, I observed the uppermost of 2 anti-collision lights intermittently inoperative with a loud bang occurring on each light flash. I grounded the aircraft and consulted with company maintenance. Maintenance diagnosed the problem to be an electrical arcing due to a likely broken wire or other breach such that an arc was jumping to the act metal structure somewhere in the tail. The approved MEL allows for flight with 1 of 2 anti-collision lights inoperative. To make the condition safe, the decision was made to disable the upper anti-collision light by unplugging the connection to its power supply. The nearest mechanic was elsewhere, 90 mins away. To return the air ambulance aircraft to service and on the advice of regional maintenance and in compliance with their detailed instructions, I conducted a simple procedure in which I opened an access panel (12 screws) and easily unplugged the connection to the power supply. The plug was secured so as not to be loose. I inventoried my tools, closed the panel, and documented the event in the aircraft engineering log. Maintenance explained that this simple procedure was permissible for me to accomplish per our MEL program. I subsequently learned that a specific list of pilot allowable maintenance items is described in our operations manual. The simple procedure I had accomplished could not be added to my 14 crash fire rescue equipment part 135 authority/authorized maintenance qualification card, and it was not permissible for me to have accomplished this procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BELL 206 HELI WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE UPPER ANTI-COLLISION DEFERRED AS INOP. SPECIAL PROC ACCOMPLISHED BY THE CAPT.

Narrative: ON PREFLT, I OBSERVED THE UPPERMOST OF 2 ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS INTERMITTENTLY INOP WITH A LOUD BANG OCCURRING ON EACH LIGHT FLASH. I GNDED THE ACFT AND CONSULTED WITH COMPANY MAINT. MAINT DIAGNOSED THE PROB TO BE AN ELECTRICAL ARCING DUE TO A LIKELY BROKEN WIRE OR OTHER BREACH SUCH THAT AN ARC WAS JUMPING TO THE ACT METAL STRUCTURE SOMEWHERE IN THE TAIL. THE APPROVED MEL ALLOWS FOR FLT WITH 1 OF 2 ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS INOP. TO MAKE THE CONDITION SAFE, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DISABLE THE UPPER ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT BY UNPLUGGING THE CONNECTION TO ITS PWR SUPPLY. THE NEAREST MECH WAS ELSEWHERE, 90 MINS AWAY. TO RETURN THE AIR AMBULANCE ACFT TO SVC AND ON THE ADVICE OF REGIONAL MAINT AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THEIR DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS, I CONDUCTED A SIMPLE PROC IN WHICH I OPENED AN ACCESS PANEL (12 SCREWS) AND EASILY UNPLUGGED THE CONNECTION TO THE PWR SUPPLY. THE PLUG WAS SECURED SO AS NOT TO BE LOOSE. I INVENTORIED MY TOOLS, CLOSED THE PANEL, AND DOCUMENTED THE EVENT IN THE ACFT ENGINEERING LOG. MAINT EXPLAINED THAT THIS SIMPLE PROC WAS PERMISSIBLE FOR ME TO ACCOMPLISH PER OUR MEL PROGRAM. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED THAT A SPECIFIC LIST OF PLT ALLOWABLE MAINT ITEMS IS DESCRIBED IN OUR OPS MANUAL. THE SIMPLE PROC I HAD ACCOMPLISHED COULD NOT BE ADDED TO MY 14 CFR PART 135 AUTH MAINT QUALIFICATION CARD, AND IT WAS NOT PERMISSIBLE FOR ME TO HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THIS PROC.

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.