An airbus 320 first officer reported left pack panel had loose fasteners. Technicians found fasteners snapped with heads super glued in place. Also found pack ducting wired in place with safety wire. Airplane removed from service.

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Attributes
ACN	613330
Time
Date	200404
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 85 flight time total : 7500 flight time type : 500
ASRS Report	613330
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 non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other other Other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Company FAA
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Loose fasteners on left pack panel found. Mechanics found on closer inspection several other fasteners were snapped and subsequently super glued to look as if in a closed and locked position. Inside pack compartment pack ducting was 'safety wired' into place where a 1/4 in. Braided cable should have been used. One of the two safety wires were snapped and hot/high pressure air had been leaking into compartment. The aircraft was towed to the hangar and taken out of service. This is unacceptable practice. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the loose fasteners were reported to maintenance after discovery on the walk around inspection. The reporter said the technicians inspected the fasteners and opened the panel and found the fasteners snapped and the heads super glued in place giving the appearance of being locked. The reporter stated the technicians also observed the left pack ducting was held in place with safety wire and not the required .250 in. Braided cable. The reporter said one of the wires had broken and a hot high pressure pneumatic leak was present. The reporter stated the technicians removed the airplane from service and towed it to the hangar.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 FO RPTED L PACK PANEL HAD LOOSE FASTENERS. TECHNICIANS FOUND FASTENERS SNAPPED WITH HEADS SUPER GLUED IN PLACE. ALSO FOUND PACK DUCTING WIRED IN PLACE WITH SAFETY WIRE. AIRPLANE REMOVED FROM SERVICE.

Narrative: LOOSE FASTENERS ON L PACK PANEL FOUND. MECHANICS FOUND ON CLOSER INSPECTION SEVERAL OTHER FASTENERS WERE SNAPPED AND SUBSEQUENTLY SUPER GLUED TO LOOK AS IF IN A CLOSED AND LOCKED POSITION. INSIDE PACK COMPARTMENT PACK DUCTING WAS 'SAFETY WIRED' INTO PLACE WHERE A 1/4 IN. BRAIDED CABLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED. ONE OF THE TWO SAFETY WIRES WERE SNAPPED AND HOT/HIGH PRESSURE AIR HAD BEEN LEAKING INTO COMPARTMENT. THE ACFT WAS TOWED TO THE HANGAR AND TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE PRACTICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE LOOSE FASTENERS WERE RPTED TO MAINT AFTER DISCOVERY ON THE WALK AROUND INSPECTION. THE RPTR SAID THE TECHNICIANS INSPECTED THE FASTENERS AND OPENED THE PANEL AND FOUND THE FASTENERS SNAPPED AND THE HEADS SUPER GLUED IN PLACE GIVING THE APPEARANCE OF BEING LOCKED. THE RPTR STATED THE TECHNICIANS ALSO OBSERVED THE L PACK DUCTING WAS HELD IN PLACE WITH SAFETY WIRE AND NOT THE REQUIRED .250 IN. BRAIDED CABLE. THE RPTR SAID ONE OF THE WIRES HAD BROKEN AND A HOT HIGH PRESSURE PNEUMATIC LEAK WAS PRESENT. THE RPTR STATED THE TECHNICIANS REMOVED THE AIRPLANE FROM SERVICE AND TOWED IT TO THE HANGAR.

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.