Narrative:

Aircraft dispatched without a release document on board after maintenance had been performed. On the evening of mar/xa/01, aircraft arrived at ZZZ airport. The aircraft was scheduled to remain overnight with several maintenance items assigned. The following items were assigned: oxygen bottle used from first class, and deferred item engine 1 bleed fault displayed on upper ECAM screen. Deferred item was not cleared due to no parts available at the station to accomplish the fix. Per the operation placard, the aircraft must not be operated in known or forecast icing conditions. On the morning of mar/xb/01, aircraft was scheduled to depart on flight. Due to the MEL restr associated with deferred item, maintenance was notified. Maintenance recommended running the #1 engine and get the bleed system to confirm no faults were present. An engine run was accomplished and a bleed system test performed. No faults were noted. However, due to previous history with the #1 engine bleed system and being informed by dispatch that the aircraft's routing would be in forecasted icing conditions, I did not feel comfortable with clearing this deferred item. At this point I was told by maintenance to take the aircraft OTS. My shift was over and I went home. Upon returning to work on the night of mar/xb/01, I was informed by the lead on duty that our manager sent an e-mail stating that the aircraft had departed the ZZZ station illegally due to no revised document on board the aircraft. The departure flight was from ZZZ-zza. I was informed by a ramp supervisor that mr Y was on duty at the time of departure, that the logbook was given to the captain by ramp personnel, and then the captain contacted maintenance for approval of the flight. Apparently maintenance downgraded the priority of the deferred item and placed the aircraft back in service. The problem here is that whoever put this airplane back in service was not aware that the aircraft needed a new maintenance airworthiness release due to the fact that maintenance had been performed on the aircraft the night before.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A319 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE AFTER OVERNIGHT MAINT WITHOUT A CURRENT MAINT RELEASE.

Narrative: ACFT DISPATCHED WITHOUT A RELEASE DOCUMENT ON BOARD AFTER MAINT HAD BEEN PERFORMED. ON THE EVENING OF MAR/XA/01, ACFT ARRIVED AT ZZZ ARPT. THE ACFT WAS SCHEDULED TO REMAIN OVERNIGHT WITH SEVERAL MAINT ITEMS ASSIGNED. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WERE ASSIGNED: OXYGEN BOTTLE USED FROM FIRST CLASS, AND DEFERRED ITEM ENG 1 BLEED FAULT DISPLAYED ON UPPER ECAM SCREEN. DEFERRED ITEM WAS NOT CLRED DUE TO NO PARTS AVAILABLE AT THE STATION TO ACCOMPLISH THE FIX. PER THE OP PLACARD, THE ACFT MUST NOT BE OPERATED IN KNOWN OR FORECAST ICING CONDITIONS. ON THE MORNING OF MAR/XB/01, ACFT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART ON FLT. DUE TO THE MEL RESTR ASSOCIATED WITH DEFERRED ITEM, MAINT WAS NOTIFIED. MAINT RECOMMENDED RUNNING THE #1 ENG AND GET THE BLEED SYS TO CONFIRM NO FAULTS WERE PRESENT. AN ENG RUN WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND A BLEED SYS TEST PERFORMED. NO FAULTS WERE NOTED. HOWEVER, DUE TO PREVIOUS HISTORY WITH THE #1 ENG BLEED SYS AND BEING INFORMED BY DISPATCH THAT THE ACFT'S ROUTING WOULD BE IN FORECASTED ICING CONDITIONS, I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH CLRING THIS DEFERRED ITEM. AT THIS POINT I WAS TOLD BY MAINT TO TAKE THE ACFT OTS. MY SHIFT WAS OVER AND I WENT HOME. UPON RETURNING TO WORK ON THE NIGHT OF MAR/XB/01, I WAS INFORMED BY THE LEAD ON DUTY THAT OUR MGR SENT AN E-MAIL STATING THAT THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED THE ZZZ STATION ILLEGALLY DUE TO NO REVISED DOCUMENT ON BOARD THE ACFT. THE DEP FLT WAS FROM ZZZ-ZZA. I WAS INFORMED BY A RAMP SUPVR THAT MR Y WAS ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF DEP, THAT THE LOGBOOK WAS GIVEN TO THE CAPT BY RAMP PERSONNEL, AND THEN THE CAPT CONTACTED MAINT FOR APPROVAL OF THE FLT. APPARENTLY MAINT DOWNGRADED THE PRIORITY OF THE DEFERRED ITEM AND PLACED THE ACFT BACK IN SVC. THE PROB HERE IS THAT WHOEVER PUT THIS AIRPLANE BACK IN SVC WAS NOT AWARE THAT THE ACFT NEEDED A NEW MAINT AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE DUE TO THE FACT THAT MAINT HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE ACFT THE NIGHT BEFORE.

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.