AN EMB145 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN OPEN DEFERRED MAINT ITEM NOT ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK OR IN THE MAINT RELEASE. L NAV LIGHT INOP.

Narrative

AFTER REVIEWING THE LOGBOOK FOR ACFT X; I NOTED THE AIRWORTHINESS SIGNOFF DATE. I BRIEFLY REVIEWED SOME OF THE DISCREPANCIES/CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. AFTER A CURSORY REVIEW TO ENSURE THERE WERE NO OPEN WRITE-UPS OR UNSIGNED CORRECTIVE ACTIONS; I FLIPPED TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT LOGBOOK TO REVIEW THE 'FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX.' I NOTICED IN THE FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX THAT ALL PREVIOUS MEL'S HAD BEEN SIGNED AND DATED CLOSED. I THEN LOOKED AT MY RELEASE FOR MY FLT IN THE MEL/CDL LINE AND NOTED THE WORD 'NONE.' I THEN COMPLETED MY SET-UP CHK AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY MEL PLACARDS ON THE OVERHEAD PANEL. I SIGNED THE ACFT LOGBOOK ACCEPTING THIS ACFT AS AIRWORTHY. AFTER ARRIVING AT ZZZ; THE NEXT CAPT ASKED ME ABOUT AN MEL FOR THE NAV LIGHTS. I LOOKED AT HIM CONFUSED. I WAS UNAWARE THAT THIS ACFT HAD AN MEL. AFTER SEARCHING THROUGH THE ACFT LOGBOOK; I DISCOVERED THAT THE L NAV LIGHT DEFERRAL WAS ENTERED AS A CORRECTIVE ACTION EARLIER THAT DAY BY AN ACR X MECH. THIS MECH DID NOT PROPERLY MEL THE NAV LIGHT FOR 2 REASONS: 1) THE ACFT 'FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX' WAS NOT COMPLETED; 2) THE NAV LIGHT SWITCH WAS NOT PLACARDED. I TOLD THE NEXT CAPT THAT THE MEL WAS NOT COMPLIED WITH AND HE CONTACTED ACR X MAINT CTL TO GET THE ISSUE RESOLVED. ACR X HAD A MECH COME TO THE ACFT AND FILL OUT THE 'FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX' CORRECTLY AND PLACARD THE NAV LIGHT SWITCH. THE DESIGN OF THE 'FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX' IS SUCH TO ALLOW A QUICK REVIEW OF ANY AND ALL ITEMS MEL'ED ON A PARTICULAR ACFT. THE PLTS DO NOT HAVE THE TIME RESOURCE TO READ EVERY DISCREPANCY/CORRECTIVE ACTION TO ENSURE A SIT LIKE MINE DOESN'T COME UP. WHEN ACCEPTING AN ACFT; THE PIC LOOKS FOR AN AIRWORTHINESS SIGNOFF (AND DATE). WE LOOK FOR CORRECTIVE ACTIONS/TECHNICIAN'S SIGNATURES FOR ANYTHING WRITTEN IN AS A DISCREPANCY AND WE REVIEW THE 'FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX' TO REVIEW MEL'ED ITEMS. IN MY CASE; THE 'FLT LOG DEFERRED INDEX' WAS NOT FILLED OUT PROPERLY BY ACR X MAINT PERSONNEL; MY RELEASE DID NOT SHOW ANY MEL'S/CDL'S AND THERE WAS NO EVIDENCE (ORANGE PLACARDS) OF AN MEL ANYWHERE IN THE COCKPIT. AS A RESULT; I UNKNOWINGLY FLEW AN ACFT THAT DID NOT COMPLY WITH THIS MEL FOR NAV LIGHT INOP.