B757 CAPTAIN BELIEVES REVISED MEL ALLOWING UNCONDITIONAL DEFERRAL OF THE WING ILLUMINATION LIGHTS IS UNSAFE BECAUSE OF THE NEED TO INSPECT FOR THE PRESENCE OF ICE ON WINGS AT NIGHT.

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THE COMPANY CHANGED THE MEL FOR THE B757/767 FLEET TO NO LONGER REQUIRE THE ILLUMINATION LIGHT WITH NO RESTRICTIONS FOR DISPATCH. THE REASON LED ONE TO THINK THAT THIS WAS ONLY FOR THE CLEAN WING CONCEPT AND MAINTENANCE SLID IN FOR THIS FLEET ONLY THAT IT WAS A DECORATION LIGHT AND CHANGED THE MEL SO THAT IT WAS NO LONGER NEEDED FOR ANY FLIGHT SITUATION. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT BOEING; AS NICE AS THEY ARE; WOULD NEVER PUT A DEVICE ON THE AIRCRAFT UNLESS THE FAA REQUIRED IT OR THEY FELT THAT THEY COULD MAKE MONEY BY DOING SO! MY CONCERN IS THAT I WOULD THINK THE FAR'S UNLESS WE ARE EXEMPT REQUIRE FLIGHT INTO KNOWN OR FORECASTED ICING CONDITIONS AT NIGHT EQUIPMENT WOULD BE NOTED IN OUR MEL. I BELIEVE THAT I COULD BE IN VIOLATION OF THE FAR'S AND LUCKILY HAVE YET TO FIGHT THIS BATTLE BUT WINTER IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER ADVISES HE UNDERSTANDS HIS AIRLINE INTENDS TO ELIMINATE THE REQUIREMENT FOR A POST DEICING INSPECTION PRIOR TO TAKEOFF AND TO; INSTEAD; RELY ON ADHERENCE TO DEICING HOLDOVER TIMES RATHER THAN A VISUAL INSPECTION. HE CONTENDS THIS IS INADEQUATE AND FAILS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION FLAWED PERFORMANCE ON THE PART OF THE DEICING CREWS WHICH CAN ONLY BE DISCOVERED VIA A VISUAL CHECK BY A MEMBER OF THE FLIGHT CREW. HE CITES EXAMPLES OF PASSENGER AND/OR CABIN ATTENDANT ALERTS OF CONTAMINATES REMAINING ON THE WING AFTER DEICING. HE IS UNPERSUADED AS TO THE MEL DECLARATION THE WING ILLUMINATION LIGHTS DO NOT ASSIST IN VIEWING THE TOP SURFACE OF THE WING. HE REMAINS CONVINCED THE LIGHTS WERE DESIGNED AND INSTALLED ON THE AIRCRAFT TO ALLOW THE FLIGHT CREW TO INSPECT THE WINGS AND COWLINGS FOR ICE ACCUMULATION AT NIGHT. HE BELIEVES THAT NEED STILL EXISTS AND THE REVISED MMEL COMPROMISES THE ABILITY OF THE FLIGHT CREW TO DO SO.