Narrative:

During landing at ZZZZ with first officer landing, experienced strong lurch/pull to the right upon initial brake application after touchdown. Brakes were released, directional control regained and brakes reapplied. It was found that more left brake pressure was required to slow the aircraft. No brake temperature rise was noted on #2 brake. During taxi in, ECAM displayed antiskid release on #2 brakes. After parking, crew and maintenance found #2 brake cold to the touch. Logbook entry highlighted the fact that no temperature rise was noted during braking, antiskid brake release on #2 brake was displayed during subsequent taxi, a D that the plane pulled to the right upon initial brake application during landing. Subsequent signoff by ZZZ1 maintenance was: deactivated #2 brake per MEL. As captain, I was concerned that deactivating only the left (#2) brake placed us in the same asymmetric braking situation that we had just experienced during our landing. We were facing a return to miami to a possible wet runway with a crosswind. All of my previous experiences with brake deactivation on the A300 required the brake on the opposite side also be deactivated to restore symmetrical braking. I was told by the technician and maintenance operations that the MEL procedure had changed to only requiring the malfunctioning brake be deactivated. The present wording in the MEL alludes to action being taken on 2 brakes -- one on each gear. Considering the sharp pull to the right upon initial braking, higher brake temperatures on the remaining brakes on the left side, and the possibility of landing under less than optimum conditions back at miami, with the concurrence of maintenance operations and dispatch, the decision was made to deactivate the #3 brake on the right gear to restore the brakes to a symmetrical balance for the landing back in miami. I was told by maintenance operations that the MEL procedure change requiring only the malfunctioning brake deactivation was made about 1 yr ago. I am being accused of unnecessarily delaying the flight to have additional maintenance action taken. I am concerned about the MEL validity of dispatching A300's with a brake on only 1 side deactivated -- yielding a situation where asymmetrical braking could be a problem. Please review the MEL procedure and clarify what action should be taken to insure equal braking following a single brake failure on the A300 aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 300 CAPT QUESTIONS THE MEL ON SINGLE BRAKE FAILURE DEFERRAL PROCS. ONLY FAILED BRAKE DEACTIVATED. RESULTS IN ASYMMETRICAL BRAKING.

Narrative: DURING LNDG AT ZZZZ WITH FO LNDG, EXPERIENCED STRONG LURCH/PULL TO THE R UPON INITIAL BRAKE APPLICATION AFTER TOUCHDOWN. BRAKES WERE RELEASED, DIRECTIONAL CTL REGAINED AND BRAKES REAPPLIED. IT WAS FOUND THAT MORE L BRAKE PRESSURE WAS REQUIRED TO SLOW THE ACFT. NO BRAKE TEMP RISE WAS NOTED ON #2 BRAKE. DURING TAXI IN, ECAM DISPLAYED ANTISKID RELEASE ON #2 BRAKES. AFTER PARKING, CREW AND MAINT FOUND #2 BRAKE COLD TO THE TOUCH. LOGBOOK ENTRY HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT NO TEMP RISE WAS NOTED DURING BRAKING, ANTISKID BRAKE RELEASE ON #2 BRAKE WAS DISPLAYED DURING SUBSEQUENT TAXI, A D THAT THE PLANE PULLED TO THE R UPON INITIAL BRAKE APPLICATION DURING LNDG. SUBSEQUENT SIGNOFF BY ZZZ1 MAINT WAS: DEACTIVATED #2 BRAKE PER MEL. AS CAPT, I WAS CONCERNED THAT DEACTIVATING ONLY THE L (#2) BRAKE PLACED US IN THE SAME ASYMMETRIC BRAKING SIT THAT WE HAD JUST EXPERIENCED DURING OUR LNDG. WE WERE FACING A RETURN TO MIAMI TO A POSSIBLE WET RWY WITH A XWIND. ALL OF MY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES WITH BRAKE DEACTIVATION ON THE A300 REQUIRED THE BRAKE ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE ALSO BE DEACTIVATED TO RESTORE SYMMETRICAL BRAKING. I WAS TOLD BY THE TECHNICIAN AND MAINT OPS THAT THE MEL PROC HAD CHANGED TO ONLY REQUIRING THE MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE BE DEACTIVATED. THE PRESENT WORDING IN THE MEL ALLUDES TO ACTION BEING TAKEN ON 2 BRAKES -- ONE ON EACH GEAR. CONSIDERING THE SHARP PULL TO THE R UPON INITIAL BRAKING, HIGHER BRAKE TEMPS ON THE REMAINING BRAKES ON THE L SIDE, AND THE POSSIBILITY OF LNDG UNDER LESS THAN OPTIMUM CONDITIONS BACK AT MIAMI, WITH THE CONCURRENCE OF MAINT OPS AND DISPATCH, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DEACTIVATE THE #3 BRAKE ON THE R GEAR TO RESTORE THE BRAKES TO A SYMMETRICAL BAL FOR THE LNDG BACK IN MIAMI. I WAS TOLD BY MAINT OPS THAT THE MEL PROC CHANGE REQUIRING ONLY THE MALFUNCTIONING BRAKE DEACTIVATION WAS MADE ABOUT 1 YR AGO. I AM BEING ACCUSED OF UNNECESSARILY DELAYING THE FLT TO HAVE ADDITIONAL MAINT ACTION TAKEN. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE MEL VALIDITY OF DISPATCHING A300'S WITH A BRAKE ON ONLY 1 SIDE DEACTIVATED -- YIELDING A SIT WHERE ASYMMETRICAL BRAKING COULD BE A PROB. PLEASE REVIEW THE MEL PROC AND CLARIFY WHAT ACTION SHOULD BE TAKEN TO INSURE EQUAL BRAKING FOLLOWING A SINGLE BRAKE FAILURE ON THE A300 ACFT.

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.