An A320 captain refused an aircraft after the full rudder throw flight control check yielded only ha...

Narrative:

After pushback and engine start we performed the flight control check; all normal except for the rudder. With full rudder pedal deflection by the first officer or me; the ECAM rudder position indication was of only half the required travel. We reported the issue to maintenance and the decision was made to MEL this as an indication problem. I queried maintenance control on how the MEL's required external visual full rudder travel inspection would be accomplished. Initially maintenance control stated there were full travel markings on the tailcone but then rescinded that and told us there was only a rudder neutral marking. I asked maintenance control how they could determine full rudder travel versus 50% travel and I was told there was no way to guarantee that. We decided to refuse the airplane. I am very confused by this MEL item. The MEL states that full rudder travel must be verified visually. If the airplane has no markings and apparently there's no other way to measure full rudder travel from the ground. How can this be a legal and more importantly; safe; MEL?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An A320 Captain refused an aircraft after the full rudder throw flight control check yielded only half the required movement on the ECAM Rudder Position Indicator. The MEL allowed dispatch after a visual check but no rudder position indicators are installed on the empennage.

Narrative: After pushback and engine start we performed the flight control check; all normal except for the rudder. With full rudder pedal deflection by the First Officer or me; the ECAM rudder position indication was of only half the required travel. We reported the issue to Maintenance and the decision was made to MEL this as an indication problem. I queried Maintenance Control on how the MEL's required external visual full rudder travel inspection would be accomplished. Initially Maintenance Control stated there were full travel markings on the tailcone but then rescinded that and told us there was only a rudder neutral marking. I asked Maintenance Control how they could determine full rudder travel versus 50% travel and I was told there was no way to guarantee that. We decided to refuse the airplane. I am very confused by this MEL item. The MEL states that full rudder travel must be verified visually. If the airplane has no markings and apparently there's no other way to measure full rudder travel from the ground. How can this be a legal and more importantly; SAFE; MEL?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	1141670
Time
Date	201401
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Component
Aircraft Component	Rudder
Person 1
Function	Captain
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural MEL Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

An A320 captain refused an aircraft after the full rudder throw flight control check yielded only half the required movement on the ECAM rudder position indicator. The MEL allowed dispatch after a visual check but no rudder position indicators are installed on the empennage.