Narrative:

During preflight planning revealed aircraft had a maintenance deferral of overwing illumination light. The MEL required both wing lights must operate when visual inspection of wing required. I contacted dispatch and informed due to significant WX that I requested maintenance repair light. Dispatch stated would refuse aircraft or have repair. I proceeded to the gate and awaited arrival of aircraft and notified crew maintenance would need a few mins to repair overwing light. I contacted dispatch again after aircraft arrived and time had passed with no maintenance action being taken. Dispatch informed me that he would make some more calls because he was of the impression a repair was being executed. The passenger loading was complete and the flight ready to close out; but still no maintenance. The crew made a number of radio xmissions to maintenance before finally receiving response and assurance someone would work the problem. Approximately 10 mins later; mechanic got involved; but never communicated with the crew. He finally; turned wing illumination light off and removed deferral sticker. We briefed cabin crew maintenance was complete and we would just be waiting for a new maintenance release. I then turned wing illumination light on and went downstairs to complete walkaround light inspection. I discovered light had not been repaired. When I returned to cockpit I discovered the maintenance release had arrived indicating repair made with write off 'rpl lamp.' we attempted to contact local maintenance by radio with no luck. I then called maintenance who dispatched a maintenance supervisor to get involved with this repair that really was not a repair. The maintenance supervisor arrived and I explained the light was written off as fixed; but that was not the case. Basically; his response was dispatch is only one that could refuse an aircraft and that the pilot was refusing the aircraft which somehow mitigated any real urgency. I politely disagreed with his response and informed him that the issue was about making the repair and now a credibility issue with improperly indicating a maintenance action had been completed. This flight was delayed over 1 hour while there was a failure to local maintenance to communicate with the crew so this issue could have been resolved. I eventually departed with the aircraft re-deferred wing light inoperative. I communicated with dispatch; maintenance and every effort to communicate with local maintenance. I never contacted zone to get them involved. I can only wonder if that would have changed the outcome of this communication failure and allow everyone to be pulling in the same direction. The pilot fom states the captain makes the final decision as to whether or not an airplane may be safely operated.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT REPORTS MAINTENANCE REFUSAL TO ACKNOWLEDGE COM TO REPAIR INOP EMER LIGHT. CAPT'S AUTHORITY DISREGARDED.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PLANNING REVEALED ACFT HAD A MAINT DEFERRAL OF OVERWING ILLUMINATION LIGHT. THE MEL REQUIRED BOTH WING LIGHTS MUST OPERATE WHEN VISUAL INSPECTION OF WING REQUIRED. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND INFORMED DUE TO SIGNIFICANT WX THAT I REQUESTED MAINT REPAIR LIGHT. DISPATCH STATED WOULD REFUSE ACFT OR HAVE REPAIR. I PROCEEDED TO THE GATE AND AWAITED ARR OF ACFT AND NOTIFIED CREW MAINT WOULD NEED A FEW MINS TO REPAIR OVERWING LIGHT. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AGAIN AFTER ACFT ARRIVED AND TIME HAD PASSED WITH NO MAINT ACTION BEING TAKEN. DISPATCH INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD MAKE SOME MORE CALLS BECAUSE HE WAS OF THE IMPRESSION A REPAIR WAS BEING EXECUTED. THE PAX LOADING WAS COMPLETE AND THE FLT READY TO CLOSE OUT; BUT STILL NO MAINT. THE CREW MADE A NUMBER OF RADIO XMISSIONS TO MAINT BEFORE FINALLY RECEIVING RESPONSE AND ASSURANCE SOMEONE WOULD WORK THE PROB. APPROX 10 MINS LATER; MECH GOT INVOLVED; BUT NEVER COMMUNICATED WITH THE CREW. HE FINALLY; TURNED WING ILLUMINATION LIGHT OFF AND REMOVED DEFERRAL STICKER. WE BRIEFED CABIN CREW MAINT WAS COMPLETE AND WE WOULD JUST BE WAITING FOR A NEW MAINT RELEASE. I THEN TURNED WING ILLUMINATION LIGHT ON AND WENT DOWNSTAIRS TO COMPLETE WALKAROUND LIGHT INSPECTION. I DISCOVERED LIGHT HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. WHEN I RETURNED TO COCKPIT I DISCOVERED THE MAINT RELEASE HAD ARRIVED INDICATING REPAIR MADE WITH WRITE OFF 'RPL LAMP.' WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT LCL MAINT BY RADIO WITH NO LUCK. I THEN CALLED MAINT WHO DISPATCHED A MAINT SUPVR TO GET INVOLVED WITH THIS REPAIR THAT REALLY WAS NOT A REPAIR. THE MAINT SUPVR ARRIVED AND I EXPLAINED THE LIGHT WAS WRITTEN OFF AS FIXED; BUT THAT WAS NOT THE CASE. BASICALLY; HIS RESPONSE WAS DISPATCH IS ONLY ONE THAT COULD REFUSE AN ACFT AND THAT THE PLT WAS REFUSING THE ACFT WHICH SOMEHOW MITIGATED ANY REAL URGENCY. I POLITELY DISAGREED WITH HIS RESPONSE AND INFORMED HIM THAT THE ISSUE WAS ABOUT MAKING THE REPAIR AND NOW A CREDIBILITY ISSUE WITH IMPROPERLY INDICATING A MAINT ACTION HAD BEEN COMPLETED. THIS FLT WAS DELAYED OVER 1 HR WHILE THERE WAS A FAILURE TO LCL MAINT TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CREW SO THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED. I EVENTUALLY DEPARTED WITH THE ACFT RE-DEFERRED WING LIGHT INOP. I COMMUNICATED WITH DISPATCH; MAINT AND EVERY EFFORT TO COMMUNICATE WITH LCL MAINT. I NEVER CONTACTED ZONE TO GET THEM INVOLVED. I CAN ONLY WONDER IF THAT WOULD HAVE CHANGED THE OUTCOME OF THIS COM FAILURE AND ALLOW EVERYONE TO BE PULLING IN THE SAME DIRECTION. THE PLT FOM STATES THE CAPT MAKES THE FINAL DECISION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT AN AIRPLANE MAY BE SAFELY OPERATED.

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.