Narrative:

A contract mechanic was called for a yaw damper #1 fault ECAM. The mechanic entered the cockpit and advised us that he would require us to move the rudder several times when given the signal in order to comply with MEL requirements. Shortly after completing this test; the mechanic told us that all MEL requirements were complied with and that we could expect to depart soon. We received a new release along with the MEL card about 15 mins later while ready for pushback. After reviewing the MEL; it was apparent that the mechanic had not complied with all the MEL actions. Maintenance control was advised and the mechanic was called back. When back in the cockpit; the mechanic's first words were 'where do I have to sign to get you guys out of here?' I told him that we could not legally depart until all MEL action items were completed. The mechanic seemed confused about the MEL placard. He admitted to not following the action items on this particular MEL and that he was under the impression that a rudder check and inspection was all that was required. The mechanic was in a hurry; he left the cockpit without the MEL card and told us to deal with the circuit breakers that had to be pulled. This was after both maintenance control and I told him that he needed to comply with these maintenance items as per the MEL. I advised maintenance control of my concern with this mechanic's ability to perform this procedure. Unfortunately; this was the only mechanic at ZZZ. Maintenance control and I agreed to let him do the work with a ramp employee (briefed by maintenance control) supervising him on the lift at the rudder and myself supervising the required cockpit procedures on the mcdu/cfds pages. Other than the rudder test; none of the required maintenance items had been complied with. The most important and possibly dangerous one being the failure to remove electrical power from the faulty yaw damper. The flight departed 3 hours late with most of our passenger being accommodated on other flts.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WITH AN ECAM YAW DAMPER FAULT WAS DEFERRED PER THE MEL. CONTRACT TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE MEL SPECIAL PROCS.

Narrative: A CONTRACT MECH WAS CALLED FOR A YAW DAMPER #1 FAULT ECAM. THE MECH ENTERED THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED US THAT HE WOULD REQUIRE US TO MOVE THE RUDDER SEVERAL TIMES WHEN GIVEN THE SIGNAL IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH MEL REQUIREMENTS. SHORTLY AFTER COMPLETING THIS TEST; THE MECH TOLD US THAT ALL MEL REQUIREMENTS WERE COMPLIED WITH AND THAT WE COULD EXPECT TO DEPART SOON. WE RECEIVED A NEW RELEASE ALONG WITH THE MEL CARD ABOUT 15 MINS LATER WHILE READY FOR PUSHBACK. AFTER REVIEWING THE MEL; IT WAS APPARENT THAT THE MECH HAD NOT COMPLIED WITH ALL THE MEL ACTIONS. MAINT CTL WAS ADVISED AND THE MECH WAS CALLED BACK. WHEN BACK IN THE COCKPIT; THE MECH'S FIRST WORDS WERE 'WHERE DO I HAVE TO SIGN TO GET YOU GUYS OUT OF HERE?' I TOLD HIM THAT WE COULD NOT LEGALLY DEPART UNTIL ALL MEL ACTION ITEMS WERE COMPLETED. THE MECH SEEMED CONFUSED ABOUT THE MEL PLACARD. HE ADMITTED TO NOT FOLLOWING THE ACTION ITEMS ON THIS PARTICULAR MEL AND THAT HE WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT A RUDDER CHK AND INSPECTION WAS ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED. THE MECH WAS IN A HURRY; HE LEFT THE COCKPIT WITHOUT THE MEL CARD AND TOLD US TO DEAL WITH THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS THAT HAD TO BE PULLED. THIS WAS AFTER BOTH MAINT CTL AND I TOLD HIM THAT HE NEEDED TO COMPLY WITH THESE MAINT ITEMS AS PER THE MEL. I ADVISED MAINT CTL OF MY CONCERN WITH THIS MECH'S ABILITY TO PERFORM THIS PROC. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS WAS THE ONLY MECH AT ZZZ. MAINT CTL AND I AGREED TO LET HIM DO THE WORK WITH A RAMP EMPLOYEE (BRIEFED BY MAINT CTL) SUPERVISING HIM ON THE LIFT AT THE RUDDER AND MYSELF SUPERVISING THE REQUIRED COCKPIT PROCS ON THE MCDU/CFDS PAGES. OTHER THAN THE RUDDER TEST; NONE OF THE REQUIRED MAINT ITEMS HAD BEEN COMPLIED WITH. THE MOST IMPORTANT AND POSSIBLY DANGEROUS ONE BEING THE FAILURE TO REMOVE ELECTRICAL PWR FROM THE FAULTY YAW DAMPER. THE FLT DEPARTED 3 HRS LATE WITH MOST OF OUR PAX BEING ACCOMMODATED ON OTHER FLTS.

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.