Narrative:

Inbound aircraft used 2 oxygen bottles. I received a note (not an MEL) from maintenance to put 2 large DF stickers on bottles. I requested maintenance to perform this task. As we approached push time someone from ZZZ operations came into the cockpit and stated; 'the oxygen bottles had been placarded.' I asked 'how could that be' as I had the maintenance book and the stickers in cockpit and I had never spoken to maintenance. He states that he was told to just take a couple of pieces of scrap paper and write on them 'do not use;' then tape the note on the bottles; then you are good to go. (Yeah; no kidding!) after discussing with the guy his job description; and how our maintenance system worked; I determined that he did not have a maintenance license. Now the good part. Contract maintenance shows up and I explain the problem. He calls maintenance control who tells him that the problem had been solved; and the bottles had been stickered; and he could leave. I tell him; 'no; they have not been stickered; and check them yourself.' he refused to walk to the back of the aircraft. He said 'maintenance control says it's done; and I'm leaving.' I said; 'hold on; we have a communications problem. Let's call maintenance control.' after 20-25 mins on hold with maintenance control; and denials about the scrap paper; my first officer goes to back of aircraft and brings forward the 'stickers of scrap' and we show the maintenance man and the light goes off in his head and he says 'this is wrong.' duh finally; someone told this operations guy to put the stickers on and go. The MEL clearly states the remaining bottles must be evenly distributed throughout aircraft by 'maintenance.' so; who told this guy to get scrap paper and put it on the bottles? Did station operations not want to pay contract maintenance to 'just placard' an item? In other words; save a few hundred dollars. This is not the first time I have encountered station operations trying to save a few bucks by not calling contract maintenance. This was a blatant attack on captain's authority/authorized for the almighty buck. Someone thought it was only 'a sticker' and did not know the full extent of the MEL (distribution of bottles by maintenance). Far too many cases of maintenance asking pilots to 'just put on a sticker for us' to save time. After all; on time first; safety second; legality third. The FAA needs to look into these procedures for stickers; or we can just carry around post-its and place them where need be; and to $@%# with procedures! If this company continues to cut corners; the corners will eventfully cut them!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPTAIN IS CHAGRINED AT IRRESPONSIBLE AND IMPROPER HANDLING OF MAINT DISCREPANCY BY NUMEROUS COMPANY AGENTS. CITES FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH DEFERRED MEL PROCEDURES FOR PLACARDING AND COMPLIANCE WITH MEL RESTRICTIONS ON OPERATIONS.

Narrative: INBOUND ACFT USED 2 OXYGEN BOTTLES. I RECEIVED A NOTE (NOT AN MEL) FROM MAINT TO PUT 2 LARGE DF STICKERS ON BOTTLES. I REQUESTED MAINT TO PERFORM THIS TASK. AS WE APCHED PUSH TIME SOMEONE FROM ZZZ OPS CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND STATED; 'THE OXYGEN BOTTLES HAD BEEN PLACARDED.' I ASKED 'HOW COULD THAT BE' AS I HAD THE MAINT BOOK AND THE STICKERS IN COCKPIT AND I HAD NEVER SPOKEN TO MAINT. HE STATES THAT HE WAS TOLD TO JUST TAKE A COUPLE OF PIECES OF SCRAP PAPER AND WRITE ON THEM 'DO NOT USE;' THEN TAPE THE NOTE ON THE BOTTLES; THEN YOU ARE GOOD TO GO. (YEAH; NO KIDDING!) AFTER DISCUSSING WITH THE GUY HIS JOB DESCRIPTION; AND HOW OUR MAINT SYS WORKED; I DETERMINED THAT HE DID NOT HAVE A MAINT LICENSE. NOW THE GOOD PART. CONTRACT MAINT SHOWS UP AND I EXPLAIN THE PROB. HE CALLS MAINT CTL WHO TELLS HIM THAT THE PROB HAD BEEN SOLVED; AND THE BOTTLES HAD BEEN STICKERED; AND HE COULD LEAVE. I TELL HIM; 'NO; THEY HAVE NOT BEEN STICKERED; AND CHK THEM YOURSELF.' HE REFUSED TO WALK TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT. HE SAID 'MAINT CTL SAYS IT'S DONE; AND I'M LEAVING.' I SAID; 'HOLD ON; WE HAVE A COMS PROB. LET'S CALL MAINT CTL.' AFTER 20-25 MINS ON HOLD WITH MAINT CTL; AND DENIALS ABOUT THE SCRAP PAPER; MY FO GOES TO BACK OF ACFT AND BRINGS FORWARD THE 'STICKERS OF SCRAP' AND WE SHOW THE MAINT MAN AND THE LIGHT GOES OFF IN HIS HEAD AND HE SAYS 'THIS IS WRONG.' DUH FINALLY; SOMEONE TOLD THIS OPS GUY TO PUT THE STICKERS ON AND GO. THE MEL CLEARLY STATES THE REMAINING BOTTLES MUST BE EVENLY DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT ACFT BY 'MAINT.' SO; WHO TOLD THIS GUY TO GET SCRAP PAPER AND PUT IT ON THE BOTTLES? DID STATION OPS NOT WANT TO PAY CONTRACT MAINT TO 'JUST PLACARD' AN ITEM? IN OTHER WORDS; SAVE A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME I HAVE ENCOUNTERED STATION OPS TRYING TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS BY NOT CALLING CONTRACT MAINT. THIS WAS A BLATANT ATTACK ON CAPT'S AUTH FOR THE ALMIGHTY BUCK. SOMEONE THOUGHT IT WAS ONLY 'A STICKER' AND DID NOT KNOW THE FULL EXTENT OF THE MEL (DISTRIBUTION OF BOTTLES BY MAINT). FAR TOO MANY CASES OF MAINT ASKING PLTS TO 'JUST PUT ON A STICKER FOR US' TO SAVE TIME. AFTER ALL; ON TIME FIRST; SAFETY SECOND; LEGALITY THIRD. THE FAA NEEDS TO LOOK INTO THESE PROCS FOR STICKERS; OR WE CAN JUST CARRY AROUND POST-ITS AND PLACE THEM WHERE NEED BE; AND TO $@%# WITH PROCS! IF THIS COMPANY CONTINUES TO CUT CORNERS; THE CORNERS WILL EVENTFULLY CUT THEM!

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.