Falcon 50
Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Other DA50
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Total 3100; Flight Crew Type 850
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL
General None Reported / Taken
Aircraft; Company Policy; MEL; Human Factors
Upon closing the main cabin door to the aircraft; the Captain (other person) broke the loop end of the door handle from the main cabin door off. The door was still functional as it could be opened and closed; however as the part was broken; I argued that we were AOG (Aircraft On Ground) until it got fixed. The part is not in the MEL (Minimum Equipment List) / CDL (Configuration Deviation List). The Captain disagreed and stated that her conversation with the company said we were good to go. I had reservations about the broken part and made them known to both her and the company however the initial repositioning leg (empty) and two charter (Part 135) legs thereafter with passengers were flown. Only in a conversation today did I realize that the Captain did not actually report the problem in its entirety to our maintenance department for a full evaluation of the issue.The plane was fixed the following day.I have had a conversation with the company and may likely be resigning this position as this incident is indicative of a much larger; systemic problem within this company regarding maintenance culture. Operations will likely be making changes to the staff based on this event but I am not confident in this pilot position causing a future accident / incident / violation. I had been chastised about not following the chain of command in reporting maintenance issues in the past which is why I did not speak up further during this incident. I personally will never again put myself in a situation where an obvious maintenance issue such as this overrides common sense (and likely a few [CFR]'s) (Code of Federal Regulations).
Pilot flying Falcon 50 aircraft reports company dispatched aircraft with broken door handle.