Narrative:

Aircraft released originally with MEL (cargo door open electrical system). Found door circuit breaker pulled and collared. Radio talked to maintenance control. They said it was fine and part of procedure. 5 mins later, after rereading MEL, called again and asked again if it was correct since it was not in document. Maintenance control, a bit miffed at me for the challenge, tried to tell me it was their procedure and reaffirmed all was fine. When trying to close cargo doors by the MEL procedure, the system would not work (obviously with control circuit breaker pulled). I called back and said that I wanted maintenance out to aircraft to either do MEL as per book or to give different MEL. During the long delay, maintenance tried several combinations which would not work. Eventually, they had to communicate with FAA. (Aircraft had been flying for 2 days like this.) maintenance finally added MEL for electrical pump and told me they were keeping old MEL. In fact, we were fortunate to observe they changed the old MEL slightly and did not tell us. After the new MEL, it was 2 log pages back and hard to see as tags were in same place and looked same. We did request to dispatch MEL changes and additions and received ACARS amendments. However, when taking the next leg out with same aircraft in ZZZ1, the old MEL was on release and not the new addition. My concern is that they might not have actually been added to release correctly as per normal procedures. All in all, very frustrating, and caused a whole plane to miss connections. In addition, it was not correct for the previous 2 days. In addition, the procedure for a cargo door opening switch on for airbus needs to be looked at and have some proper MEL rather than a combination thrown together.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH INCORRECT AND CONFLICTING MEL PROCS FOR A DEFERRED CARGO DOOR.

Narrative: ACFT RELEASED ORIGINALLY WITH MEL (CARGO DOOR OPEN ELECTRICAL SYS). FOUND DOOR CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED AND COLLARED. RADIO TALKED TO MAINT CTL. THEY SAID IT WAS FINE AND PART OF PROC. 5 MINS LATER, AFTER REREADING MEL, CALLED AGAIN AND ASKED AGAIN IF IT WAS CORRECT SINCE IT WAS NOT IN DOCUMENT. MAINT CTL, A BIT MIFFED AT ME FOR THE CHALLENGE, TRIED TO TELL ME IT WAS THEIR PROC AND REAFFIRMED ALL WAS FINE. WHEN TRYING TO CLOSE CARGO DOORS BY THE MEL PROC, THE SYS WOULD NOT WORK (OBVIOUSLY WITH CTL CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED). I CALLED BACK AND SAID THAT I WANTED MAINT OUT TO ACFT TO EITHER DO MEL AS PER BOOK OR TO GIVE DIFFERENT MEL. DURING THE LONG DELAY, MAINT TRIED SEVERAL COMBINATIONS WHICH WOULD NOT WORK. EVENTUALLY, THEY HAD TO COMMUNICATE WITH FAA. (ACFT HAD BEEN FLYING FOR 2 DAYS LIKE THIS.) MAINT FINALLY ADDED MEL FOR ELECTRICAL PUMP AND TOLD ME THEY WERE KEEPING OLD MEL. IN FACT, WE WERE FORTUNATE TO OBSERVE THEY CHANGED THE OLD MEL SLIGHTLY AND DID NOT TELL US. AFTER THE NEW MEL, IT WAS 2 LOG PAGES BACK AND HARD TO SEE AS TAGS WERE IN SAME PLACE AND LOOKED SAME. WE DID REQUEST TO DISPATCH MEL CHANGES AND ADDITIONS AND RECEIVED ACARS AMENDMENTS. HOWEVER, WHEN TAKING THE NEXT LEG OUT WITH SAME ACFT IN ZZZ1, THE OLD MEL WAS ON RELEASE AND NOT THE NEW ADDITION. MY CONCERN IS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN ADDED TO RELEASE CORRECTLY AS PER NORMAL PROCS. ALL IN ALL, VERY FRUSTRATING, AND CAUSED A WHOLE PLANE TO MISS CONNECTIONS. IN ADDITION, IT WAS NOT CORRECT FOR THE PREVIOUS 2 DAYS. IN ADDITION, THE PROC FOR A CARGO DOOR OPENING SWITCH ON FOR AIRBUS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AND HAVE SOME PROPER MEL RATHER THAN A COMBINATION THROWN TOGETHER.

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.