A B737-300 was dispatched with the ceiling night light control circuit breaker tripped.

Attributes
ACN	686887
Time
Date	200602
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 14000 flight time type : 737
ASRS Report	686887
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Originate aircraft at ZZZ. Aircraft carrying an MEL 33-2 with a logbook entry of 'ceiling control night light circuit breaker pop -- collared.' MEL provided relief to fly and was cleared through maintenance control when aircraft was in a previous city by company maintenance. My thought was a cabin light malfunction; it is daylight and we have an MEL release. Arriving in our next city; I brief the oncoming captain that we were carry an MEL for cabin lighting. The captain flew the aircraft (with night operations approaching) and discovered it was more than what the MEL stated. In fact; the cabin ceiling lights were all inoperative; and thus; there was no relief to fly with this MEL; day or night. Aircraft was removed from service. Either the write-up did not reflect the actual malfunction; or throughout the 4 legs I flew the aircraft and additional malfunction developed without our recognition. I cannot imagine that the previous crew flew the aircraft into ZZZ the previous night with the malfunction discovered in another city.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE CEILING NIGHT LIGHT CTL CIRCUIT BREAKER TRIPPED.

Narrative: ORIGINATE ACFT AT ZZZ. ACFT CARRYING AN MEL 33-2 WITH A LOGBOOK ENTRY OF 'CEILING CTL NIGHT LIGHT CIRCUIT BREAKER POP -- COLLARED.' MEL PROVIDED RELIEF TO FLY AND WAS CLRED THROUGH MAINT CTL WHEN ACFT WAS IN A PREVIOUS CITY BY COMPANY MAINT. MY THOUGHT WAS A CABIN LIGHT MALFUNCTION; IT IS DAYLIGHT AND WE HAVE AN MEL RELEASE. ARRIVING IN OUR NEXT CITY; I BRIEF THE ONCOMING CAPT THAT WE WERE CARRY AN MEL FOR CABIN LIGHTING. THE CAPT FLEW THE ACFT (WITH NIGHT OPS APCHING) AND DISCOVERED IT WAS MORE THAN WHAT THE MEL STATED. IN FACT; THE CABIN CEILING LIGHTS WERE ALL INOP; AND THUS; THERE WAS NO RELIEF TO FLY WITH THIS MEL; DAY OR NIGHT. ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC. EITHER THE WRITE-UP DID NOT REFLECT THE ACTUAL MALFUNCTION; OR THROUGHOUT THE 4 LEGS I FLEW THE ACFT AND ADDITIONAL MALFUNCTION DEVELOPED WITHOUT OUR RECOGNITION. I CANNOT IMAGINE THAT THE PREVIOUS CREW FLEW THE ACFT INTO ZZZ THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WITH THE MALFUNCTION DISCOVERED IN ANOTHER CITY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.