Narrative:

A300 aircraft X. Left wing aileron; several ft wide and long; did not droop. Right wing droop 1 to 1 and a half ft normal. Air carrier X maintenance engineers approve write off that droop not required; citing airbus maintenance procedure describing permissible asymmetric droop. After lengthy flight departure delay; it was discovered that the left wing aileron hinge was jammed and not turning. Hydraulic pressure could override. Question was asked of engineering how much hinge jam is permissible and how would it be detected or measured. Only total failure of hinge and subsequent failure of aileron would indicate jam had reached unserviceable level. There are no feedbacks -- not a manual system. 'You will get wing flutter;' was response. I cited S-80 that had jack screw with binding that was not corrected. He said that that crash involved pitch; all things equal; spoilers would compensate for aileron failure. He did not say do not fly until repaired. I required a demonstration that the hinge was lubricated to the point that the aileron could be pulled down by a mechanic without hydraulic pressure. This was done and flight departed over 8 hours late. Passenger were interrupted simply because current FAA maintenance requirements do not require due care by air carrier maintenance upon report by flight crew. Reliance on a maintenance citation is used to clear the aircraft for flight even though the left wing aileron is clearly jammed in the up position.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that it was discovered that with no hydraulic pressure; the left aileron had no droop and the right aileron had 1.5 ft. The system was pressurized and aileron movement was normal. With no hydraulic pressure on; a technician attempted to pull the left aileron down and could not gain any movement. The aileron hinges were found jammed with no aileron droop. The reporter was advised maintenance; with concurrence of systems engineering; was going to defer the aileron or clear it as ok for service using the airbus maintenance manual on droop configuration. This procedure only addresses comparing the droop between left and right ailerons and using the difference for aileron zero position. This manual reference does not address a no droop condition. The reporter wanted the aileron hinges lubricated to the extent the aileron could be moved by a technician pulling it down. This binding or jamming if left with no lubrication could cause hinge failure and as the systems engineer said; 'you will get wing flutter;' but did not say; 'do not fly until repaired.' this situation should have been discovered on a routine overnight layover check. The reporter stated the trip incurred a lengthy avoidable maintenance delay.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A300 LEFT WING AILERON DID NOT DROOP AS EXPECTED WITH NO HYD PRESSURE DUE TO INADEQUATELY LUBRICATED HINGES. SYSTEMS ENGINEER APPROVED DEFERRAL OF THE AILERON; REFERENCING THE AIRBUS MAINT MANUAL.

Narrative: A300 ACFT X. LEFT WING AILERON; SEVERAL FT WIDE AND LONG; DID NOT DROOP. RIGHT WING DROOP 1 TO 1 AND A HALF FT NORMAL. ACR X MAINT ENGINEERS APPROVE WRITE OFF THAT DROOP NOT REQUIRED; CITING AIRBUS MAINT PROC DESCRIBING PERMISSIBLE ASYMMETRIC DROOP. AFTER LENGTHY FLT DEP DELAY; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE LEFT WING AILERON HINGE WAS JAMMED AND NOT TURNING. HYD PRESSURE COULD OVERRIDE. QUESTION WAS ASKED OF ENGINEERING HOW MUCH HINGE JAM IS PERMISSIBLE AND HOW WOULD IT BE DETECTED OR MEASURED. ONLY TOTAL FAILURE OF HINGE AND SUBSEQUENT FAILURE OF AILERON WOULD INDICATE JAM HAD REACHED UNSERVICEABLE LEVEL. THERE ARE NO FEEDBACKS -- NOT A MANUAL SYSTEM. 'YOU WILL GET WING FLUTTER;' WAS RESPONSE. I CITED S-80 THAT HAD JACK SCREW WITH BINDING THAT WAS NOT CORRECTED. HE SAID THAT THAT CRASH INVOLVED PITCH; ALL THINGS EQUAL; SPOILERS WOULD COMPENSATE FOR AILERON FAILURE. HE DID NOT SAY DO NOT FLY UNTIL REPAIRED. I REQUIRED A DEMONSTRATION THAT THE HINGE WAS LUBRICATED TO THE POINT THAT THE AILERON COULD BE PULLED DOWN BY A MECHANIC WITHOUT HYD PRESSURE. THIS WAS DONE AND FLT DEPARTED OVER 8 HOURS LATE. PAX WERE INTERRUPTED SIMPLY BECAUSE CURRENT FAA MAINT REQUIREMENTS DO NOT REQUIRE DUE CARE BY ACR MAINT UPON RPT BY FLT CREW. RELIANCE ON A MAINT CITATION IS USED TO CLEAR THE ACFT FOR FLT EVEN THOUGH THE LEFT WING AILERON IS CLEARLY JAMMED IN THE UP POSITION.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT WITH NO HYD PRESSURE; THE LEFT AILERON HAD NO DROOP AND THE RIGHT AILERON HAD 1.5 FT. THE SYSTEM WAS PRESSURIZED AND AILERON MOVEMENT WAS NORMAL. WITH NO HYD PRESSURE ON; A TECHNICIAN ATTEMPTED TO PULL THE LEFT AILERON DOWN AND COULD NOT GAIN ANY MOVEMENT. THE AILERON HINGES WERE FOUND JAMMED WITH NO AILERON DROOP. THE RPTR WAS ADVISED MAINT; WITH CONCURRENCE OF SYSTEMS ENGINEERING; WAS GOING TO DEFER THE AILERON OR CLEAR IT AS OK FOR SERVICE USING THE AIRBUS MAINT MANUAL ON DROOP CONFIGURATION. THIS PROC ONLY ADDRESSES COMPARING THE DROOP BETWEEN LEFT AND RIGHT AILERONS AND USING THE DIFFERENCE FOR AILERON ZERO POSITION. THIS MANUAL REFERENCE DOES NOT ADDRESS A NO DROOP CONDITION. THE RPTR WANTED THE AILERON HINGES LUBRICATED TO THE EXTENT THE AILERON COULD BE MOVED BY A TECHNICIAN PULLING IT DOWN. THIS BINDING OR JAMMING IF LEFT WITH NO LUBRICATION COULD CAUSE HINGE FAILURE AND AS THE SYSTEMS ENGINEER SAID; 'YOU WILL GET WING FLUTTER;' BUT DID NOT SAY; 'DO NOT FLY UNTIL REPAIRED.' THIS SITUATION SHOULD HAVE BEEN DISCOVERED ON A ROUTINE OVERNIGHT LAYOVER CHK. THE RPTR STATED THE TRIP INCURRED A LENGTHY AVOIDABLE MAINT DELAY.

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.