An airbus 320 was dispatched in non compliance with an intermittent engine fire warning light deferred in conflict with the MEL.

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Attributes
ACN	583188
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	583188
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : right eng fire light other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

During preflight of flight, maintenance insisted on MEL'ing the #2 engine fire light on the 'engine' panel. The inbound crew had written the light up as coming on intermittently in-flight with no other fire indications. Engine #2 had 3 other MEL's mostly associated with the bleed system. The engine #2 fire test functioned normally on the ground, and tested ok via the mcdu, but maintenance would not sign off on the fire light citing a 'system' or 'grounding problem.' I told the captain that I was not comfortable flying with a fire light coming on but MEL'ed as 'inoperative.' the captain and maintenance both pressured me to fly. I called the chief pilot who told me it was ok to fly it. I feel strongly that air carrier improperly applied a fire warning light to a fire detection system that may or may not have been functioning correctly. I would like to know ASRS official position on this MEL if they feel it was applied correctly?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN INTERMITTENT ENG FIRE WARNING LIGHT DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT OF FLT, MAINT INSISTED ON MEL'ING THE #2 ENG FIRE LIGHT ON THE 'ENG' PANEL. THE INBOUND CREW HAD WRITTEN THE LIGHT UP AS COMING ON INTERMITTENTLY INFLT WITH NO OTHER FIRE INDICATIONS. ENG #2 HAD 3 OTHER MEL'S MOSTLY ASSOCIATED WITH THE BLEED SYS. THE ENG #2 FIRE TEST FUNCTIONED NORMALLY ON THE GND, AND TESTED OK VIA THE MCDU, BUT MAINT WOULD NOT SIGN OFF ON THE FIRE LIGHT CITING A 'SYS' OR 'GNDING PROB.' I TOLD THE CAPT THAT I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE FLYING WITH A FIRE LIGHT COMING ON BUT MEL'ED AS 'INOP.' THE CAPT AND MAINT BOTH PRESSURED ME TO FLY. I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT WHO TOLD ME IT WAS OK TO FLY IT. I FEEL STRONGLY THAT ACR IMPROPERLY APPLIED A FIRE WARNING LIGHT TO A FIRE DETECTION SYS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE BEEN FUNCTIONING CORRECTLY. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ASRS OFFICIAL POS ON THIS MEL IF THEY FEEL IT WAS APPLIED CORRECTLY?

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.