Narrative:

While preflting the cockpit; I came to a toggle switch for the standby compass. It was my opinion that the toggle switch was the incorrect switch for that position. A flat toggle switch was installed when I believed it should be a round toggle switch. I called maintenance up to the cockpit and they told me they had no idea if the switch was correct or not. While an improper switch may have been in place; the switch functioned properly. We flew the 1 leg to our destination. At this ramp I again queried the maintenance personnel; they told me they did not have any idea. We went to the hotel. Upon returning for our outbound flight; we had the same aircraft. When we queried maintenance again; they told us that the toggle switch was indeed the wrong type toggle switch; but the section it was installed was replaced as a unit; with a couple other switches; and they did not have one of those units at the ramp. As the toggle switch was functioning properly and did not impact the safety of flight; I took the airplane to its destination. At the destination; I advised maintenance of the problem with the toggle switch but again did not write it up as it was functioning properly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPTAIN FOR A TWO ENGINE; HEAVY TRANSPORT CATEGORY CARGO ACFT; NOTICES THE STANDBY COMPASS SWITCH WAS A ROUND TYPE TOGGLE SWITCH; NOT THE FLAT TYPE. MAINT AGREES; BUT REPLACEMENT UNIT NOT AVAILABLE. PILOT DID NOT MAKE A WRITE-UP.

Narrative: WHILE PREFLTING THE COCKPIT; I CAME TO A TOGGLE SWITCH FOR THE STANDBY COMPASS. IT WAS MY OPINION THAT THE TOGGLE SWITCH WAS THE INCORRECT SWITCH FOR THAT POS. A FLAT TOGGLE SWITCH WAS INSTALLED WHEN I BELIEVED IT SHOULD BE A ROUND TOGGLE SWITCH. I CALLED MAINT UP TO THE COCKPIT AND THEY TOLD ME THEY HAD NO IDEA IF THE SWITCH WAS CORRECT OR NOT. WHILE AN IMPROPER SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN IN PLACE; THE SWITCH FUNCTIONED PROPERLY. WE FLEW THE 1 LEG TO OUR DEST. AT THIS RAMP I AGAIN QUERIED THE MAINT PERSONNEL; THEY TOLD ME THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY IDEA. WE WENT TO THE HOTEL. UPON RETURNING FOR OUR OUTBOUND FLT; WE HAD THE SAME ACFT. WHEN WE QUERIED MAINT AGAIN; THEY TOLD US THAT THE TOGGLE SWITCH WAS INDEED THE WRONG TYPE TOGGLE SWITCH; BUT THE SECTION IT WAS INSTALLED WAS REPLACED AS A UNIT; WITH A COUPLE OTHER SWITCHES; AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ONE OF THOSE UNITS AT THE RAMP. AS THE TOGGLE SWITCH WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY AND DID NOT IMPACT THE SAFETY OF FLT; I TOOK THE AIRPLANE TO ITS DEST. AT THE DEST; I ADVISED MAINT OF THE PROB WITH THE TOGGLE SWITCH BUT AGAIN DID NOT WRITE IT UP AS IT WAS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY.

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.