Narrative:

After getting takeoff clearance we taxied into position and started our takeoff roll. We got a pack overheat warning and aborted our takeoff. We taxied off the runway and in the process of getting in touch with our dispatcher and maintenance; the elac 1 came on. After talking with dispatch and maintenance; we all agreed that the aircraft would be taken OTS since these were recurring issues and it was not reasonable to take this airplane to a non-maintenance airport. We returned to the gate. After deplaning we went to our new gate. Before we had a chance to even get on the airplane; a maintenance supervisor approached me and asked if I had officially declined the airplane. He was a little rude and confrontational. I asked him who he was and then showed him the ACARS with the decline. He told me that I did not decline the airplane; so I proceeded to call dispatch. Upon doing that I realized that the supervisor was not talking about the previous airplane but the current one which had an issue I was not aware of. Evidently; the airplane had a brake problem. After talking with the dispatcher; it was decided that it was not safe to take this airplane since we were going to an airport with a short runway. I informed the maintenance supervisor of the current situation and again was asked to officially decline the airplane and he also advised me that I was not following official procedure. As far as I was concerned I was doing everything by the book. After maintenance deactivated the gauge; the maintenance supervisor once again came over to me in an agitated manner and asked that why; after the gauge was deactivated; would I still not take the airplane. He told me that by declining the airplane I was inconveniencing all these passenger who were already late and not to forget that their business pays our salaries. I informed him that I was not trying to inconvenience anyone; but that instead I was turning down the aircraft because it was not safe and that I was first and foremost concerned with safety. After this frustrating conversation; I called the ZZZ chief pilot and discussed the situation at hand. He agreed with my actions and decisions and thought I was handling the situation correctly. I was also contacted by the duty flight manager so he could get up to date on the situation; evidently he was informed of it somehow; and he was also supportive. Upon the second decline; I was given a third airplane that was coming in from the hangar. This airplane had an engine replaced. I started to do the walkaround and noticed a large amount of hydraulic fluid underneath engine #1. There was so much fluid that I; for a second; thought that it couldn't have come from this airplane. I then get on the phone and find out that the airplane has a hydraulic leak from the green line when the engines are started up. This airplane had a maintenance issue and maintenance took it out of service. Today; I encountered 3 airplanes that all had some kind of maintenance issue. I; in the interest of safety; could not take any of these airplanes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPTAIN DETAILS HIS REFUSAL TO DEPART WITH THREE DIFFERENT ACFT FOR MAINTENANCE DISCREPANCIES. ALSO NOTES PRESSURE FROM MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR NOT TO DO SO.

Narrative: AFTER GETTING TKOF CLRNC WE TAXIED INTO POS AND STARTED OUR TKOF ROLL. WE GOT A PACK OVERHEAT WARNING AND ABORTED OUR TKOF. WE TAXIED OFF THE RWY AND IN THE PROCESS OF GETTING IN TOUCH WITH OUR DISPATCHER AND MAINT; THE ELAC 1 CAME ON. AFTER TALKING WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT; WE ALL AGREED THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE TAKEN OTS SINCE THESE WERE RECURRING ISSUES AND IT WAS NOT REASONABLE TO TAKE THIS AIRPLANE TO A NON-MAINT ARPT. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. AFTER DEPLANING WE WENT TO OUR NEW GATE. BEFORE WE HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN GET ON THE AIRPLANE; A MAINT SUPVR APCHED ME AND ASKED IF I HAD OFFICIALLY DECLINED THE AIRPLANE. HE WAS A LITTLE RUDE AND CONFRONTATIONAL. I ASKED HIM WHO HE WAS AND THEN SHOWED HIM THE ACARS WITH THE DECLINE. HE TOLD ME THAT I DID NOT DECLINE THE AIRPLANE; SO I PROCEEDED TO CALL DISPATCH. UPON DOING THAT I REALIZED THAT THE SUPVR WAS NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PREVIOUS AIRPLANE BUT THE CURRENT ONE WHICH HAD AN ISSUE I WAS NOT AWARE OF. EVIDENTLY; THE AIRPLANE HAD A BRAKE PROB. AFTER TALKING WITH THE DISPATCHER; IT WAS DECIDED THAT IT WAS NOT SAFE TO TAKE THIS AIRPLANE SINCE WE WERE GOING TO AN ARPT WITH A SHORT RWY. I INFORMED THE MAINT SUPVR OF THE CURRENT SITUATION AND AGAIN WAS ASKED TO OFFICIALLY DECLINE THE AIRPLANE AND HE ALSO ADVISED ME THAT I WAS NOT FOLLOWING OFFICIAL PROC. AS FAR AS I WAS CONCERNED I WAS DOING EVERYTHING BY THE BOOK. AFTER MAINT DEACTIVATED THE GAUGE; THE MAINT SUPVR ONCE AGAIN CAME OVER TO ME IN AN AGITATED MANNER AND ASKED THAT WHY; AFTER THE GAUGE WAS DEACTIVATED; WOULD I STILL NOT TAKE THE AIRPLANE. HE TOLD ME THAT BY DECLINING THE AIRPLANE I WAS INCONVENIENCING ALL THESE PAX WHO WERE ALREADY LATE AND NOT TO FORGET THAT THEIR BUSINESS PAYS OUR SALARIES. I INFORMED HIM THAT I WAS NOT TRYING TO INCONVENIENCE ANYONE; BUT THAT INSTEAD I WAS TURNING DOWN THE ACFT BECAUSE IT WAS NOT SAFE AND THAT I WAS FIRST AND FOREMOST CONCERNED WITH SAFETY. AFTER THIS FRUSTRATING CONVERSATION; I CALLED THE ZZZ CHIEF PLT AND DISCUSSED THE SITUATION AT HAND. HE AGREED WITH MY ACTIONS AND DECISIONS AND THOUGHT I WAS HANDLING THE SITUATION CORRECTLY. I WAS ALSO CONTACTED BY THE DUTY FLT MGR SO HE COULD GET UP TO DATE ON THE SITUATION; EVIDENTLY HE WAS INFORMED OF IT SOMEHOW; AND HE WAS ALSO SUPPORTIVE. UPON THE SECOND DECLINE; I WAS GIVEN A THIRD AIRPLANE THAT WAS COMING IN FROM THE HANGAR. THIS AIRPLANE HAD AN ENG REPLACED. I STARTED TO DO THE WALKAROUND AND NOTICED A LARGE AMOUNT OF HYD FLUID UNDERNEATH ENG #1. THERE WAS SO MUCH FLUID THAT I; FOR A SECOND; THOUGHT THAT IT COULDN'T HAVE COME FROM THIS AIRPLANE. I THEN GET ON THE PHONE AND FIND OUT THAT THE AIRPLANE HAS A HYD LEAK FROM THE GREEN LINE WHEN THE ENGS ARE STARTED UP. THIS AIRPLANE HAD A MAINT ISSUE AND MAINT TOOK IT OUT OF SVC. TODAY; I ENCOUNTERED 3 AIRPLANES THAT ALL HAD SOME KIND OF MAINT ISSUE. I; IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY; COULD NOT TAKE ANY OF THESE AIRPLANES.

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.