Narrative:

During preflight planning for next leg I noticed that our next aircraft; had an open log item concerning the green hydraulic system low pressure warning. Also noticed in the history that the green system had lost all fluid 1 week prior. Unrelated in the history was 3 reports of low fluid on the yellow system in 3 days. Upon arrival at departure aircraft discover that problem with the green system has been deferred as the low pressure limit switch being the culprit. All other indications were normal. Upon further preflight; discovered that the yellow system was again below the low level mark on the ECAM page (cargo doors were closed). Refused aircraft based on doubtful yellow system integrity. Mechanic tried to explain to me that the yellow system had xferred fluid to the green system through the ptu during the prior failure and that was the reason for the chronic low fluid problem over the last week. Later; after the flight had canceled; it was determined that the ptu was leaking. Shockingly; the leak was deferred. I was assigned the aircraft the next morning to fly the extra section and refused it again based on safety reasons. The aircraft is currently in the air flying and is not scheduled for maintenance for 7 more legs and 2 days. Flying an aircraft with a known hydraulic leak that is serious enough to have to be checked after each landing and is causing the reservoir to reach low level at least once a day is definitely not the safest course of action. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated this issue of having to refuse aircraft because of safety of flight issues; just to get maintenance to fix to an item; places undue pressure on flight crews. This aircraft that he twice refused to take due to unresolved yellow hydraulic system low fluid level and leaking at the ptu; also had a total loss of the green system hydraulic pressure and fluid just one week earlier.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A320 CAPTAIN REFUSES SAME ACFT IN 24 HOURS DUE TO CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH THE YELLOW HYD SYS LEAKING AT THE PTU WITH A CHRONIC LOW FLUID LEVEL. BELIEVES MAINT AT HIS CARRIER CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT PLANNING FOR NEXT LEG I NOTICED THAT OUR NEXT ACFT; HAD AN OPEN LOG ITEM CONCERNING THE GREEN HYD SYS LOW PRESSURE WARNING. ALSO NOTICED IN THE HISTORY THAT THE GREEN SYS HAD LOST ALL FLUID 1 WK PRIOR. UNRELATED IN THE HISTORY WAS 3 RPTS OF LOW FLUID ON THE YELLOW SYS IN 3 DAYS. UPON ARR AT DEP ACFT DISCOVER THAT PROB WITH THE GREEN SYS HAS BEEN DEFERRED AS THE LOW PRESSURE LIMIT SWITCH BEING THE CULPRIT. ALL OTHER INDICATIONS WERE NORMAL. UPON FURTHER PREFLT; DISCOVERED THAT THE YELLOW SYS WAS AGAIN BELOW THE LOW LEVEL MARK ON THE ECAM PAGE (CARGO DOORS WERE CLOSED). REFUSED ACFT BASED ON DOUBTFUL YELLOW SYS INTEGRITY. MECH TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO ME THAT THE YELLOW SYS HAD XFERRED FLUID TO THE GREEN SYS THROUGH THE PTU DURING THE PRIOR FAILURE AND THAT WAS THE REASON FOR THE CHRONIC LOW FLUID PROB OVER THE LAST WK. LATER; AFTER THE FLT HAD CANCELED; IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE PTU WAS LEAKING. SHOCKINGLY; THE LEAK WAS DEFERRED. I WAS ASSIGNED THE ACFT THE NEXT MORNING TO FLY THE EXTRA SECTION AND REFUSED IT AGAIN BASED ON SAFETY REASONS. THE ACFT IS CURRENTLY IN THE AIR FLYING AND IS NOT SCHEDULED FOR MAINT FOR 7 MORE LEGS AND 2 DAYS. FLYING AN ACFT WITH A KNOWN HYD LEAK THAT IS SERIOUS ENOUGH TO HAVE TO BE CHKED AFTER EACH LNDG AND IS CAUSING THE RESERVOIR TO REACH LOW LEVEL AT LEAST ONCE A DAY IS DEFINITELY NOT THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THIS ISSUE OF HAVING TO REFUSE ACFT BECAUSE OF SAFETY OF FLIGHT ISSUES; JUST TO GET MAINT TO FIX TO AN ITEM; PLACES UNDUE PRESSURE ON FLIGHT CREWS. THIS ACFT THAT HE TWICE REFUSED TO TAKE DUE TO UNRESOLVED YELLOW HYD SYSTEM LOW FLUID LEVEL AND LEAKING AT THE PTU; ALSO HAD A TOTAL LOSS OF THE GREEN SYSTEM HYD PRESSURE AND FLUID JUST ONE WEEK EARLIER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.