Narrative:

Taxiing in, my first officer attempted to use his control yoke map light and the light intensity was extremely bright, followed by smoke coming from the light area. He immediately shut off the light and the smoke stopped and we proceeded to the gate. Upon calling up maintenance after writing up the problem, I could not believe that maintenance was asking us to simply defer the light. Keep in mind the smoke was so strong that even the flight attendant could smell it. I refused to defer the problem and informed maintenance of that fact. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the fact that maintenance control would allow deferral of the yoke light without any technician inspection was surprising. The reporter said the request was denied and the airplane refused. The reporter stated the cause of the smoke and the corrective action is unknown as the crew departed the airplane.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 135 ON TAXI-IN, FO ATTEMPTED USE OF YOKE MAP LIGHT. LIGHT BECAME VERY BRIGHT FOLLOWED BY HVY SMOKE.

Narrative: TAXIING IN, MY FO ATTEMPTED TO USE HIS CTL YOKE MAP LIGHT AND THE LIGHT INTENSITY WAS EXTREMELY BRIGHT, FOLLOWED BY SMOKE COMING FROM THE LIGHT AREA. HE IMMEDIATELY SHUT OFF THE LIGHT AND THE SMOKE STOPPED AND WE PROCEEDED TO THE GATE. UPON CALLING UP MAINT AFTER WRITING UP THE PROB, I COULD NOT BELIEVE THAT MAINT WAS ASKING US TO SIMPLY DEFER THE LIGHT. KEEP IN MIND THE SMOKE WAS SO STRONG THAT EVEN THE FLT ATTENDANT COULD SMELL IT. I REFUSED TO DEFER THE PROB AND INFORMED MAINT OF THAT FACT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FACT THAT MAINT CTL WOULD ALLOW DEFERRAL OF THE YOKE LIGHT WITHOUT ANY TECHNICIAN INSPECTION WAS SURPRISING. THE RPTR SAID THE REQUEST WAS DENIED AND THE AIRPLANE REFUSED. THE RPTR STATED THE CAUSE OF THE SMOKE AND THE CORRECTIVE ACTION IS UNKNOWN AS THE CREW DEPARTED THE AIRPLANE.

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.