A B737-500 PIC RPT ON FAILING TO ENTER A MINOR REQUIRED MAINT ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK PRIOR TO HAVING A WING LIGHT BULB CHANGED AT ZZZ; US.

Narrative

THIS RPT HAS TO DO WITH MAINT WRITE-UPS. DURING PREFLT WALKAROUND IN THE DARK; THE FO NOTICED A WHITE POS LIGHT OUT ON THE R WING. A MECH FROM ANOTHER MAJOR AIRLINE USED A SPARE BULB FROM OUR SUPPLY IN THE COCKPIT TO REPLACE AND FIX THE BULB. I CONSULTED OVER THE PHONE WITH MY AIRLINE'S MAINT AND DISPATCHER. WE DO NOT HAVE MECHS AT THAT STATION. MY AIRLINE'S MECH ASSUMED I WOULD WRITE UP THE LIGHT BULB IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND HAVE THE OTHER AIRLINE'S MECH SIGN IT OFF. I DID NOT DO THIS FOR SEVERAL REASONS. FIRST; SINCE MY AIRLINE'S MECH DID NOT ASK ME TO; I DID NOT. SECOND; AT STATIONS WHERE MY AIRLINE HAS MAINT; THIS SIT DOES NOT REQUIRE A PLT WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. A BULB OUT WAS FIXED BY OUR MECH AND HE ENTERED IT IN THE COMPUTER. I ASSUMED THE MECH OVER THE PHONE WOULD DO THIS NEGATING THE NEED FOR A WRITE-UP. THIRD; IT WAS EARLY; WE WERE TIRED AND RUSHED TO GET UNDERWAY. THIS WAS THE THIRD DAY OF A 3 DAY TRIP. LATER IN THE SAME DAY; I TALKED TO THE SAME MECH OVER THE PHONE TO FIND OUT WHAT I DID WRONG AND WHY MY AIRLINE'S MECH DID PUT THE LIGHT BULB REPLACEMENT IN THE COMPUTER TO COVER FOR ME. HOWEVER; I SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP THE BULB AND HAD IT SIGNED OFF BY THE OTHER AIRLINE'S MECH SO THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND THE COMPUTER RECORDS MATCH. NEW CAPTS AT OUR AIRLINE DO NOT GET TRAINING ON HANDLING SUCH SITS. WE ARE TO RELY ON EXPERIENCE AND MECHS WE CAN CALL ON THE PHONE. I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER REGARDLESS OF OUR TRAINING. I DO KNOW BETTER NOW! EXPERIENCE IS A GREAT TEACHER.