A CANADAIR CL65 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE MAGNETIC COMPASS DEFERRED AS INOP WHEN INTERNAL LIGHTING ONLY HAD FAILED.

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I DISCOVERED DURING PREFLT THE ACFT HAD A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM; 'MAGNETIC STANDBY COMPASS BACK-LIGHTING WAS 1/2 BURNED OUT.' THIS DEFERRAL WAS LISTED ON THE FLT RELEASE AS AN MEL ITEM #XX-YY-Z WHICH WAS IDENTED AN INOP MAGNETIC COMPASS. I READ THE ORIGINAL PLT WRITE-UP AND THE MECH WORDING ON THE MEL LIST AND FOUND THE WRITE-UP WAS FOR THE BACKLIGHTING ONLY; NOT THE ACTUAL MAGNETIC COMPASS. I VERIFIED THIS MYSELF BY TESTING THE LIGHT SYS ON THE COMPASS AND VERIFYING THE COMPASS WAS ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. I CHKED WITH THE MEL ON THE ACFT AS THERE IS A SPECIFIC MEL ITEM WHICH REFERS TO 'COCKPIT/FLT DECK INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS (YY-XX-Z).' THE ACFT MEL LOGBOOK AND FLT RELEASE BOTH REFLECTED THE WRONG MEL ITEM TO THE BROKEN ITEM. THIS OF COURSE REFLECTS THE AVAILABILITY OF USABLE SYS ON THE ACFT; IE; THE CURRENT NUMBER INDICATED THE MAGNETIC STANDBY COMPASS WAS INOP WHEN IT WAS NOT. I CONTACTED STATION VIA RADIO TO CONTACT MAINT CTL AT XZX TO ADVISE THEM OF THE DISCREPANCY; AND GET AN AMENDMENT TO THE RELEASE AND AUTH TO CHANGE THE MEL ITEM NUMBER. THE STATION TOLD ME VIA RADIO THAT MAINT CTL SUPVR WOULD NOT CHANGE ANYTHING; THAT IT WAS CORRECT AND TO CALL VIA PHONE MYSELF IF I REQUESTED FURTHER ACTION. I CONTACTED THE MAINT CTL SUPVR; AND HE FIRST STATED TO ME 'WHY ARE YOU UNNECESSARILY DELAYING THIS FLT?' I TOLD HIM THE ACFT WAS ILLEGAL AND NEEDED AN MEL CHANGE -- DISCUSSING THE AFOREMENTIONED PROB. HE REPLIED TO ME; 'I AM NOT CHANGING IT; I WOULD HAVE TO CALL OUT A MECH -- YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CALL THE CHIEF PLT IF YOU WANT TO CHANGE IT.' I ASKED TO SPEAK WITH HIS SUPVR. HE SAID THERE WAS NONE. I THEN TALKED TO DISPATCH SUPVR; APPRISED HIM OF THE PROB; AND ASKED IF HE WOULD RESOLVE THE PROB AT HIS MORNING MEETING. I FURTHER STATED I WOULD TAKE THE PLANE AS PER MAINT CTL THE PLANE WAS NOT ILLEGAL; EVEN THOUGH I FELT IT WAS. I DEPARTED ZZZ FOR ORD. UPON ARR AT ORD; I WAS MET BY A MECH WHO SAID HE WAS INFORMED THE MEL WAS INCORRECT AS I HAD IDENTED AND WOULD MAKE THE APPROPRIATE CORRECTIONS. THE CORRECTIONS WERE COMPLETED.