B737-700 CREW DETECTED A SLIGHTLY CRACKED LNDG LIGHT AT SNA. CREW WROTE UP A DISCREPANCY WHEN THE BULB FINALLY FAILED.

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DURING PREFLT OF ACFT; FOUND R-HAND LNDG LIGHT BULB HAD A SMALL CRACK AT THE 12 O'CLOCK POS. CLOSER EXAMINATION LED ME TO BELIEVE THE LIGHT WAS SVCABLE. IT OPERATED NORMALLY; SO I DID NOT WRITE IT UP. WHEN ON THE GND IN SEA; I CALLED MAINT AND REQUESTED A MECH TO CHK THE BULB SINCE WE HAD 2 MORE LEGS TO FLY. THE MECH WROTE UP THE LIGHT AS BROKEN; MEL'ED IT; AND WE CONTINUED THE NEXT 2 LEGS. AT THE END OF THE DAY THE CRACK HAD EXPANDED AND THE BULB WAS FOGGED INSIDE; NOW TOTALLY INOP. THE NEXT MORNING A SAFETY OFFICER CALLED ME AND TOLD ME THAT THE MECH HAD FILED A SAFETY RPT CONCERNING THE SIT AND ADVISED ME TO FILE A NASA RPT AND AIRLINE SAFETY RPT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE PROB IS; SINCE AS A PLT WE HAVE TO MAKE JUDGEMENT CALLS EVERY DAY ON CUT TIRES; ETC; BUT THE MECH MUST HAVE FELT SAFETY HAD BEEN COMPROMISED. I AM NOT SURE WHY; SINCE LNDG LIGHTS CAN BE BURNED OUT AND WE CAN CONTINUE TO FLY -- WE CAN EVEN MEL THEM AS A PLT. THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PROB IS TO SHOW NO JUDGEMENT. IF IT ISN'T PERFECT; WRITE IT UP; TAKE THE DELAY -- NO MATTER WHAT THE PROB. SURE IS A SAD STATE OF AFFAIRS TODAY.