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An airbus A320 was dispatched in non compliance with the left pack deferred but not locked out per the MEL special procedures.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 508143 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200104 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | artcc : zau.artcc |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : fcc technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| ASRS Report | 508143 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : left pack indication other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | MINIMUM EQUIP LIST |
Narrative:
Aircraft arrived at the gate. The captain requested maintenance and I went up to talk to him. He reported that ZZZ maintenance had MEL'ed the left pack due to a pack fault, but he had operations tested it on the way from ZZZ to xyz and both packs checked out good. I checked the logbook and ZZZ maintenance had MEL'ed the #1 pack and signed off the special procedure as having been accomplished. Special maintenance procedure calls for the pack valve to be locked out. I called maintenance control and they told me that if the packs operated normally then the pack valve could not have been locked out. The panel that has to be removed to get to the pack valve has 49 screws holding it in and takes 20 mins to remove and replace it. Due to time constraints on the flight, I took the captain's word that the pack worked and maintenance control's assurance that the pack valve could not have been locked out and I removed the MEL on the pack without pulling the panel to verify that the pack valve was not locked out. After the plane departed, I began to think that first, the captain should not have been operating an MEL'ed pack and if I did not have the time to check to see that the pack valve was not locked out, I should have left the pack on MEL. The reason that the captain and maintenance control wanted it to be removed was due to altitude restrs going across water.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS A320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE L PACK DEFERRED BUT NOT LOCKED OUT PER THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS.
Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE. THE CAPT REQUESTED MAINT AND I WENT UP TO TALK TO HIM. HE RPTED THAT ZZZ MAINT HAD MEL'ED THE L PACK DUE TO A PACK FAULT, BUT HE HAD OPS TESTED IT ON THE WAY FROM ZZZ TO XYZ AND BOTH PACKS CHKED OUT GOOD. I CHKED THE LOGBOOK AND ZZZ MAINT HAD MEL'ED THE #1 PACK AND SIGNED OFF THE SPECIAL PROC AS HAVING BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. SPECIAL MAINT PROC CALLS FOR THE PACK VALVE TO BE LOCKED OUT. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND THEY TOLD ME THAT IF THE PACKS OPERATED NORMALLY THEN THE PACK VALVE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT. THE PANEL THAT HAS TO BE REMOVED TO GET TO THE PACK VALVE HAS 49 SCREWS HOLDING IT IN AND TAKES 20 MINS TO REMOVE AND REPLACE IT. DUE TO TIME CONSTRAINTS ON THE FLT, I TOOK THE CAPT'S WORD THAT THE PACK WORKED AND MAINT CTL'S ASSURANCE THAT THE PACK VALVE COULD NOT HAVE BEEN LOCKED OUT AND I REMOVED THE MEL ON THE PACK WITHOUT PULLING THE PANEL TO VERIFY THAT THE PACK VALVE WAS NOT LOCKED OUT. AFTER THE PLANE DEPARTED, I BEGAN TO THINK THAT FIRST, THE CAPT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN OPERATING AN MEL'ED PACK AND IF I DID NOT HAVE THE TIME TO CHK TO SEE THAT THE PACK VALVE WAS NOT LOCKED OUT, I SHOULD HAVE LEFT THE PACK ON MEL. THE REASON THAT THE CAPT AND MAINT CTL WANTED IT TO BE REMOVED WAS DUE TO ALT RESTRS GOING ACROSS WATER.
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.