Narrative:

The outbound flight crew on preflight found an elac 2 fault. Reset of the system did not correct the fault. Our MEL provides no relief for the #2 elac. As there were no svcable elac computers available, maintenance operation control (maintenance controller) was contacted and the decision was made to swap the #1 elac with the faulted #2 elac and release the aircraft with the #1 elac inoperative and MEL'ed and downgrade the category landing status of the aircraft. The work was accomplished and the aircraft was dispatched to ZZZ, after a 30 min delay. After returning to the office, we are required to direct data entry the items on the log page into our computer database. At this point I realized that the aircraft category landing status was improperly downgraded. We step downgraded the aircraft prohibiting 'CAT III dual' approachs. This was incorrect as I was required to do a functional test of the #2 elac after swapping components. This was not possible as we were on delay and the flight crew was accomplishing elac MEL operational procedures required prior to departure. My logbook entries also reflected that the #2 elac system was now operational testing normal, but was not certified for category landing status, and that the #1 elac was now inoperative and on MEL and not certified for category as well. This requires the category landing status to be fully downgraded to CAT I approachs, not CAT ii/IIIA as we released it. I immediately contacted maintenance control and notified them of the error. I was told that the aircraft would require reclassification of the category MEL and that they would fully downgrade the aircraft to CAT I in ZZZ, as WX was not a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT AUTOLAND STATUS PLACARD DISPLAYED. #1 ELAC DEFERRED AS INOP PER THE MEL.

Narrative: THE OUTBOUND FLT CREW ON PREFLT FOUND AN ELAC 2 FAULT. RESET OF THE SYS DID NOT CORRECT THE FAULT. OUR MEL PROVIDES NO RELIEF FOR THE #2 ELAC. AS THERE WERE NO SVCABLE ELAC COMPUTERS AVAILABLE, MAINT OP CTL (MAINT CTLR) WAS CONTACTED AND THE DECISION WAS MADE TO SWAP THE #1 ELAC WITH THE FAULTED #2 ELAC AND RELEASE THE ACFT WITH THE #1 ELAC INOP AND MEL'ED AND DOWNGRADE THE CATEGORY LNDG STATUS OF THE ACFT. THE WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED TO ZZZ, AFTER A 30 MIN DELAY. AFTER RETURNING TO THE OFFICE, WE ARE REQUIRED TO DIRECT DATA ENTRY THE ITEMS ON THE LOG PAGE INTO OUR COMPUTER DATABASE. AT THIS POINT I REALIZED THAT THE ACFT CATEGORY LNDG STATUS WAS IMPROPERLY DOWNGRADED. WE STEP DOWNGRADED THE ACFT PROHIBITING 'CAT III DUAL' APCHS. THIS WAS INCORRECT AS I WAS REQUIRED TO DO A FUNCTIONAL TEST OF THE #2 ELAC AFTER SWAPPING COMPONENTS. THIS WAS NOT POSSIBLE AS WE WERE ON DELAY AND THE FLT CREW WAS ACCOMPLISHING ELAC MEL OPERATIONAL PROCS REQUIRED PRIOR TO DEP. MY LOGBOOK ENTRIES ALSO REFLECTED THAT THE #2 ELAC SYS WAS NOW OPERATIONAL TESTING NORMAL, BUT WAS NOT CERTIFIED FOR CATEGORY LNDG STATUS, AND THAT THE #1 ELAC WAS NOW INOP AND ON MEL AND NOT CERTIFIED FOR CATEGORY AS WELL. THIS REQUIRES THE CATEGORY LNDG STATUS TO BE FULLY DOWNGRADED TO CAT I APCHS, NOT CAT II/IIIA AS WE RELEASED IT. I IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MAINT CTL AND NOTIFIED THEM OF THE ERROR. I WAS TOLD THAT THE ACFT WOULD REQUIRE RECLASSIFICATION OF THE CATEGORY MEL AND THAT THEY WOULD FULLY DOWNGRADE THE ACFT TO CAT I IN ZZZ, AS WX WAS NOT A FACTOR.

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.