Narrative:

During preflight, first officer found unusual hydraulic indication on system (hydraulic) page. This condition known to be caused by bad cannon plug. Crew called contract maintenance. Mechanic found cannon plug not connected. Mechanic also found that in an attempt to repair the cannon plug, someone had used plastic zip ties to tie the plug together. The plug was a 1/4 turn type plug and would not lock. Thus the zip tie repair. The zip tie repair was illegal and there was no notations in the book of any previous problem with this system. There was no part available and the plug was not repairable. The system was put on MEL and the flight continued. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the undocumented and obviously unauthorized repair was accomplished with plastic tie wraps holding the connector to the blue reservoir indicator socket. The reporter said the repair was not successful as the indicator did not work unless the connection was wiggled. The reporter said no logbook pages indicated any repair to this reservoir and maintenance history records were checked and nothing found.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319 DURING A PREFLT CHK WAS FOUND TO HAVE AN UNAPPROVED AND UNDOCUMENTED REPAIR MADE TO A HYD RESERVOIR INDICATOR CONNECTOR.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT, FO FOUND UNUSUAL HYD INDICATION ON SYS (HYD) PAGE. THIS CONDITION KNOWN TO BE CAUSED BY BAD CANNON PLUG. CREW CALLED CONTRACT MAINT. MECH FOUND CANNON PLUG NOT CONNECTED. MECH ALSO FOUND THAT IN AN ATTEMPT TO REPAIR THE CANNON PLUG, SOMEONE HAD USED PLASTIC ZIP TIES TO TIE THE PLUG TOGETHER. THE PLUG WAS A 1/4 TURN TYPE PLUG AND WOULD NOT LOCK. THUS THE ZIP TIE REPAIR. THE ZIP TIE REPAIR WAS ILLEGAL AND THERE WAS NO NOTATIONS IN THE BOOK OF ANY PREVIOUS PROB WITH THIS SYS. THERE WAS NO PART AVAILABLE AND THE PLUG WAS NOT REPAIRABLE. THE SYS WAS PUT ON MEL AND THE FLT CONTINUED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE UNDOCUMENTED AND OBVIOUSLY UNAUTHORIZED REPAIR WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH PLASTIC TIE WRAPS HOLDING THE CONNECTOR TO THE BLUE RESERVOIR INDICATOR SOCKET. THE RPTR SAID THE REPAIR WAS NOT SUCCESSFUL AS THE INDICATOR DID NOT WORK UNLESS THE CONNECTION WAS WIGGLED. THE RPTR SAID NO LOGBOOK PAGES INDICATED ANY REPAIR TO THIS RESERVOIR AND MAINTENANCE HISTORY RECORDS WERE CHECKED AND NOTHING FOUND.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.