Narrative:

The event took place today during the preflight at ZZZ. The aircraft was dark with gate power available when I came to the aircraft. I was the first one on board the aircraft; and started up using first gate power; and since it was cold; subsequently started the APU. As the plane was powering up; the isi came on; and I noticed that the top half of the isi was mirrored down onto the lower half of the isi; not giving a full view. Pitch view down was limited to approximately 2 degrees nose down; and no backup navigation source was displayed; no localizer could have been tracked. I pointed this out to the captain who responded that he had seen this thing before and after the plane warmed up it would go away. After completing my preflight; I returned to the flight deck; still to find the isi information un-viewable on the bottom half. After a few mins; I asked him his intentions; and he assured me that it would be fine. I explained why I was concerned that the isi was not working properly; it is important; not MEL'able; and no action was taken. We departed and after the airplane arrived at cruise altitude; he brought out the logbook and filled out a maintenance slip for an in-flight mechanical; and called in range to notify them of the problem. It was corrected in ZZZ1. We never should have taken off. If I would have done my job; I would have insisted that we never depart without having our isi functioning properly. If the captain had done his job; we never would have departed in violation of far's/SOP's.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO REPORTS CAPTAIN FAILED TO REQUIRE REPAIR OF FAULTY ISI GAUGE PRIOR TO DEP.

Narrative: THE EVENT TOOK PLACE TODAY DURING THE PREFLT AT ZZZ. THE ACFT WAS DARK WITH GATE PWR AVAILABLE WHEN I CAME TO THE ACFT. I WAS THE FIRST ONE ON BOARD THE ACFT; AND STARTED UP USING FIRST GATE PWR; AND SINCE IT WAS COLD; SUBSEQUENTLY STARTED THE APU. AS THE PLANE WAS POWERING UP; THE ISI CAME ON; AND I NOTICED THAT THE TOP HALF OF THE ISI WAS MIRRORED DOWN ONTO THE LOWER HALF OF THE ISI; NOT GIVING A FULL VIEW. PITCH VIEW DOWN WAS LIMITED TO APPROX 2 DEGS NOSE DOWN; AND NO BACKUP NAV SOURCE WAS DISPLAYED; NO LOC COULD HAVE BEEN TRACKED. I POINTED THIS OUT TO THE CAPT WHO RESPONDED THAT HE HAD SEEN THIS THING BEFORE AND AFTER THE PLANE WARMED UP IT WOULD GO AWAY. AFTER COMPLETING MY PREFLT; I RETURNED TO THE FLT DECK; STILL TO FIND THE ISI INFO UN-VIEWABLE ON THE BOTTOM HALF. AFTER A FEW MINS; I ASKED HIM HIS INTENTIONS; AND HE ASSURED ME THAT IT WOULD BE FINE. I EXPLAINED WHY I WAS CONCERNED THAT THE ISI WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY; IT IS IMPORTANT; NOT MEL'ABLE; AND NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. WE DEPARTED AND AFTER THE AIRPLANE ARRIVED AT CRUISE ALT; HE BROUGHT OUT THE LOGBOOK AND FILLED OUT A MAINT SLIP FOR AN INFLT MECHANICAL; AND CALLED IN RANGE TO NOTIFY THEM OF THE PROB. IT WAS CORRECTED IN ZZZ1. WE NEVER SHOULD HAVE TAKEN OFF. IF I WOULD HAVE DONE MY JOB; I WOULD HAVE INSISTED THAT WE NEVER DEPART WITHOUT HAVING OUR ISI FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. IF THE CAPT HAD DONE HIS JOB; WE NEVER WOULD HAVE DEPARTED IN VIOLATION OF FAR'S/SOP'S.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.