REQUIRED MAINTENANCE INSPECTION WAIVED SO ACFT COULD CONTINUE WITHOUT DELAY.

Narrative

I WAS PIC OF AIRLINES FLT FROM DTW TO MQT TO CMX TO MSP WITH RETURN AS FLT FROM MSP TO CMX TO MQT. THE MAINT PREFLT ON THE ACFT WAS DUE TO EXPIRE AT XX07 LCL TIME (AT MQT). THE LAST LEG OF OUR SCHEDULE (CMX TO MQT) WAS NOT DUE TO LEAVE UNTIL XX35 LCL TIME. I INFORMED DISPATCH THAT THE ACFT WAS IN NEED OF A MAINT PREFLT. I WAS THEN INSTRUCTED TO TALK TO DIRECTOR OF MAINT. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE FELT THAT THE 'CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THE CONTROL OF THE COMPANY' CLAUSE IN THE MAINT OPS SPECS ALLOWED HIM TO DELAY THE PREFLT RATHER THAN DELAY THE FLT. I TOLD HIM THAT IF HE GAVE ME INSTRUCTIONS TO THAT EFFECT IN WRITING; I WOULD FLY THE AIRPLANE. HE REFUSED TO DO SO. I THEN WENT TO DIRECTOR OF OPS FOR INSTRUCTIONS. HE INTIMATED THAT IF I DID NOT FLY THE ACFT; SOMEONE ELSE WOULD. I THEN ASKED HIM FOR WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS. HE REFUSED; BUT ASSURED ME THAT VERBAL INSTRUCTIONS WERE SUFFICIENT. I FEEL THAT CLARIFICATION OF THESE RULES IS IN ORDER; AND THAT PLTS SHOULD RECEIVE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS IN CASES WHERE RULES ARE IN DISPUTE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: OPS SPECS OF THE ACR REQUIRES A MAINT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT EVERY 72 HRS. WHEN INSPECTION IS ACCOMPLISHED MAINT ENTERS IN THE LOGBOOK THE TIME AND THEN IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FLT CREW TO ADD 72 HRS TO THIS TIME TO INDICATE WHEN THE NEXT INSPECTION IS DUE. MQT IS A MAINT FAC BUT IN THIS CASE THE ACFT WAS ALLOWED TO CONTINUE TO THE NEXT STATION WHERE THE INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED. TIME TO DO THE INSPECTION WAS ABOUT 30 MINS. FEELS VERY STRONGLY A CLARIFICATION OF THESE RULES IS IN ORDER.