An A320 cabin attendant reports finding door bottle pressure indications below limits.

Attributes
ACN	662725
Time
Date	200505
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
ASRS Report	662725
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Environmental Factor Aircraft Cabin Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

The door pressure gauges at doors 1R and 2R were below minimums. 1R was at 750 psi and door 2R was at 1100 psi. They should have been at 1750 psi or so. The door pressure gauges are not a flight attendant preflight check. I check because this is happening often. I called for a mechanic and asked if they check them and they said no. Who does and when? This is very alarming to me. If there was an emergency; we would have had to redirect on the right side forward and aft. Could have been crucial time wasted. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that in most cases when reporting a low door bottle pressure that needs servicing; she receives criticism for delaying the flight mainly from the flight crew. She was told that a cabin attendant is not to check door bottle pressure as it is not part of the preflight check. Reporter feels that this is a safety of flight item and needs to be 100% operational. Bottle pressures are checked at 45 hour intervals and after cold soaking in a long flight; the bottle pressure normally drops; but must remain within limits.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CABIN ATTENDANT RPTS FINDING DOOR BOTTLE PRESSURE INDICATIONS BELOW LIMITS.

Narrative: THE DOOR PRESSURE GAUGES AT DOORS 1R AND 2R WERE BELOW MINIMUMS. 1R WAS AT 750 PSI AND DOOR 2R WAS AT 1100 PSI. THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN AT 1750 PSI OR SO. THE DOOR PRESSURE GAUGES ARE NOT A FLT ATTENDANT PREFLT CHK. I CHK BECAUSE THIS IS HAPPENING OFTEN. I CALLED FOR A MECHANIC AND ASKED IF THEY CHK THEM AND THEY SAID NO. WHO DOES AND WHEN? THIS IS VERY ALARMING TO ME. IF THERE WAS AN EMER; WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO REDIRECT ON THE R SIDE FORWARD AND AFT. COULD HAVE BEEN CRUCIAL TIME WASTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IN MOST CASES WHEN RPTING A LOW DOOR BOTTLE PRESSURE THAT NEEDS SERVICING; SHE RECEIVES CRITICISM FOR DELAYING THE FLT MAINLY FROM THE FLT CREW. SHE WAS TOLD THAT A CABIN ATTENDANT IS NOT TO CHK DOOR BOTTLE PRESSURE AS IT IS NOT PART OF THE PREFLT CHK. RPTR FEELS THAT THIS IS A SAFETY OF FLT ITEM AND NEEDS TO BE 100% OPERATIONAL. BOTTLE PRESSURES ARE CHKED AT 45 HOUR INTERVALS AND AFTER COLD SOAKING IN A LONG FLT; THE BOTTLE PRESSURE NORMALLY DROPS; BUT MUST REMAIN WITHIN LIMITS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.