Narrative:

Refused aircraft for mechanical condition. Had [a component of the] flight control computer failure on inbound flight. Maintenance placarded [it] rather than fix it. Flight crew procedures to comply with MEL is three pages long; requiring the flight crew to 'put the aircraft in a test configuration;' then perform 2 more pages of maintenance procedures to determine if the aircraft has 'elevator movement.' flight crews are not trained to run maintenance procedures; and if done incorrectly the lack of an elevator causes loss of the aircraft and probably all passengers and crew. Maintenance reset the computer after I refused the aircraft for mechanical condition. Unable to source another computer at the station. Don't attempt to dispatch an aircraft with known control problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A321 Captain reported refusing the aircraft during preflight because of a flight control computer failure.

Narrative: Refused aircraft for mechanical condition. Had [a component of the] flight control computer failure on inbound flight. Maintenance placarded [it] rather than fix it. Flight crew procedures to comply with MEL is three pages long; requiring the flight crew to 'put the aircraft in a test configuration;' then perform 2 more pages of maintenance procedures to determine if the aircraft has 'elevator movement.' Flight crews are not trained to run maintenance procedures; and if done incorrectly the lack of an elevator causes loss of the aircraft and probably all passengers and crew. Maintenance reset the computer after I refused the aircraft for mechanical condition. Unable to source another computer at the station. Don't attempt to dispatch an aircraft with known control problems.

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.