A BE1900 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE FO'S ATTITUDE INDICATOR DEFERRED AS INOP.

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ON AUG/WED/02; ACFT X ARRIVED IN ALBANY; NY. THE COPLT'S ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS SLOW TO WORK. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND WAS INFORMED TO WRITE IT UP; 'COPLT ATTITUDE INDICATOR; TAKES 5-7 MINS TO WORK.' CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS;' DEFERRED IN ACCORDANCE WITH MEL 24-3 CATEGORY B PER MAINT CTL.' I WORKED THE AFTERNOON SHIFT THE NEXT DAY AND THE COPLT HEADING INDICATOR WAS NOT WORKING. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND THEY TRIED TO FIX IT BUT NO LUCK. I WENT THROUGH THE MEL BOOK FOR THE 1900D AND SAW THAT I WAS ABLE TO MEL THE HEADING INDICATOR BUT NOT THE ATTITUDE. WHEN I REALIZED THAT THE FIRST WRITE-UP WAS NOT CORRECT; I CONTACTED MAINT CTL OVER THE PHONE AT XA30 AM ON AUG/FRI/02. I INFORMED THEM THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS GNDED AND THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIX THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR AND CORRECT THE MEL. THEN THEY COULD MEL THE HEADING INDICATOR TO GO TO A MAINT BASE. THEIR RESPONSE WAS THAT THEY WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. THE PROB WITH THE ATTITUDE INDICATOR WAS NOT THAT IT WOULD NOT WORK BUT IT WOULD TAKE A LONG TIME TO COME ON AND GET ERECTED. ONCE IT WAS ON; IT WOULD WORK VERY WELL AND HAD ALL OF ITS FUNCTIONS. THE PROC WE USED WAS TO START THE ENG AND SIT THERE UNTIL THE SCREEN WOULD COME ALIVE (5-7 MINS). WAS INFORMED BY MAINT CTL TO XFER THE DATA FROM #1 TO #2; TO DO A DATA XFER.