ACFT FLOWN ILLEGALLY WITH YAW DAMPER INDICATOR LIGHTS INOPERATIVE.

Narrative

AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR; REQUESTED PERMISSION TO RIDE; AND OBSERVE OPS; ON FLT. PERMISSION TO RIDE AND OBSERVE WAS GRANTED. DURING THE COURSE OF THE DEP PROCS; THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE ASKED ABOUT THE YAW DAMPERS; TO WHICH I REPLIED THAT THEY WERE WORKING. THIS SEEMED TO SATISFY THE AGENT; AS HE MADE NO FURTHER COMMENTS TO ME DURING THE ENTIRE FLT. A YAW DAMPER CHK WAS PERFORMED DURING TAXI USING THE YAW DAMPER INDICES THE AUTOPLT CHK WAS GOOD; CONFIRMING YAW DAMPER OP; AND THE RED WARNING YAW DAMPER FAILURE LIGHTS WERE OUT. THE GREEN YAW DAMPER ENGAGED LIGHTS HAVE BEEN VERY DIM IN THIS ACFT; AND AS THIS WAS A NIGHT TIME OP; THEY ARE HARD TO SEE. IT WAS ON THE SUBSEQUENT FLT THAT IT WAS REALIZED THAT THE GREEN YAW DAMPER ENGAGEMENT LIGHTS WERE BOTH NOT DIM; BUT IN FACT INOP. THIS IN NO WAY AFFECTS THE SAFETY OF THE OP; AS THE YAW DAMPERS WERE BOTH OPERATING; AND HAD 3 SEPARATE CHKS TO PROVE IT; BUT SINCE WE WERE UNAWARE THAT THE GREEN ENGAGEMENT LIGHTS WERE OUT ON DEP FROM CVG; WE DEPARTED WITHOUT PLACARDING THE LIGHTS ACCORDING TO OUR MEL. THIS IS OF COURSE AGAINST OUR OPERATING PROCS; AND VERY EMBARRASSING WITH THE FAA ON BOARD. THE PROBLEM WAS FOUND ON THE NEXT FLT; AND TURNED OVER TO OUR MAINT FOR PROPER HANDLING. ONE OF THE REASONS THE PROBLEM WAS NOT DISCOVERED SOONER; IS BECAUSE THIS ACFT; ALSO HAD A CONTINUOUS STICK SHAKER IN ROTATION; AND CLBOUT; AT CVG. THE ONLY WAY TO STOP THE SHAKER WAS TO PULL ITS RESPECTIVE CIRCUIT BREAKER; COMPANY WAS ADVISED BY AND WE WERE ADVISED BY COMPANY TO LAND AT DEST (BWI). THIS EVENT IS ONE THAT COULD AFFECT SAFETY OF FLT; IF NOT HANDLED PROPERLY BY THE CREW. IN MY OPINION; MY CREW; AND MYSELF; HANDLED THIS PROBLEM IN A TIMELY; AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER; AT THE ONSET OF THE STICK SHAKER; FULL PWR WAS APPLIED; AND THE ACFT FLOWN IN ACCORDANCE WITH STANDARD DEP PROCS; UNTIL IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THIS WAS A NUISANCE FAILURE OF THE STALL WARNING SYS. UPON LNDG AT DEST; IT WAS FOUND THAT THE STALL WARNING COMPUTER WAS BAD. IT WAS REPLACED BY MAINT; AND TESTED AS OPERATIONAL; PRIOR TO THE NEXT DEP. I HAVE INITIATED THIS RPT IN AN EFFORT TO EXPLAIN MY ACTIONS; AND THAT OF MY CREW; WITH RESPECT TO THESE MULTIPLE FAILURES; AND TO ALLEVIATE ANY CONFUSION THAT MIGHT RISE AS TO OUR ACTIONS.