Narrative:

Several maintenance write-ups going into ZZZ. Maintenance controller requested pilots to defer all with stickers; etc. Captain requested maintenance to perform maintenance action on all. Mechanics came onboard and put deferral stickers on some; and fixed others; but no attempt to fix TCAS. Captain called maintenance controller and requested maintenance controller attempt reset of TCAS. Maintenance controller refused to attempt reset action for belief that system will just fail again on takeoff and it was time to get it fixed; however; they would not fix it unless captain refused aircraft. Faced with maintenance refusal to reset the TCAS and maintenance controller insist that a reset attempt would not be appropriate and that a full repair was in order; captain took maintenance controller suggestion and refused aircraft. The safety part of this is that maintenance controller apparently had no confidence in the TCAS system making it to ZZZ1 in the first place. Maintenance controller asked captain if he looked at log history -- apparently suggesting that captain knew the extent of the history of the TCAS beyond what is reported on the flight papers. The flight papers do not indicate a chronic history after the repair that would warrant no attempt to reset. Additionally; if maintenance controller knew the unit would fail and that there was no maintenance/part in ZZZ1; maintenance controller should have taken action to not let the aircraft leave in that condition; or; to discuss the deferral options with the crew; or; to indicate a chronic item status after a unit replacement; and that the chronic status would be determined to be unable to reset. Resolution: the system needs parts at maintenance bases or within reach of all maintenance bases when a known chronic condition exists or is likely to exist. When a condition may occur when maintenance controller will refuse to reset a part or instrument because of chronic conditions; the log history will be listed as chronic in the paperwork as a flag to flight crew. A 'standard work' algorithm should be developed for maintenance that reflects changing market conditions for parts and parts held (or not held) in inventory. Pilots should not be asked to take a 'legal deferral' when at the same time; maintenance has no doubt of a defect/failure and significant history that a defect/failure cannot be repaired. Adding that; said defect should not be shown as operable if there is no doubt that it is temporary in nature -- especially if it is known or suspected that it will not remain operable for the duration of a flight segment.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPTAIN BELIEVES COMPANY MAINTENANCE IS EMPLOYING INAPPROPRIATE DOCUMENTATION REGARDING THE EFFICACY OF MAINTENANCE PERFORMED IN RESPONSE TO A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP OF TCAS SYSTEM.

Narrative: SEVERAL MAINT WRITE-UPS GOING INTO ZZZ. MAINT CTLR REQUESTED PLTS TO DEFER ALL WITH STICKERS; ETC. CAPT REQUESTED MAINT TO PERFORM MAINT ACTION ON ALL. MECHS CAME ONBOARD AND PUT DEFERRAL STICKERS ON SOME; AND FIXED OTHERS; BUT NO ATTEMPT TO FIX TCAS. CAPT CALLED MAINT CTLR AND REQUESTED MAINT CTLR ATTEMPT RESET OF TCAS. MAINT CTLR REFUSED TO ATTEMPT RESET ACTION FOR BELIEF THAT SYS WILL JUST FAIL AGAIN ON TKOF AND IT WAS TIME TO GET IT FIXED; HOWEVER; THEY WOULD NOT FIX IT UNLESS CAPT REFUSED ACFT. FACED WITH MAINT REFUSAL TO RESET THE TCAS AND MAINT CTLR INSIST THAT A RESET ATTEMPT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE AND THAT A FULL REPAIR WAS IN ORDER; CAPT TOOK MAINT CTLR SUGGESTION AND REFUSED ACFT. THE SAFETY PART OF THIS IS THAT MAINT CTLR APPARENTLY HAD NO CONFIDENCE IN THE TCAS SYS MAKING IT TO ZZZ1 IN THE FIRST PLACE. MAINT CTLR ASKED CAPT IF HE LOOKED AT LOG HISTORY -- APPARENTLY SUGGESTING THAT CAPT KNEW THE EXTENT OF THE HISTORY OF THE TCAS BEYOND WHAT IS RPTED ON THE FLT PAPERS. THE FLT PAPERS DO NOT INDICATE A CHRONIC HISTORY AFTER THE REPAIR THAT WOULD WARRANT NO ATTEMPT TO RESET. ADDITIONALLY; IF MAINT CTLR KNEW THE UNIT WOULD FAIL AND THAT THERE WAS NO MAINT/PART IN ZZZ1; MAINT CTLR SHOULD HAVE TAKEN ACTION TO NOT LET THE ACFT LEAVE IN THAT CONDITION; OR; TO DISCUSS THE DEFERRAL OPTIONS WITH THE CREW; OR; TO INDICATE A CHRONIC ITEM STATUS AFTER A UNIT REPLACEMENT; AND THAT THE CHRONIC STATUS WOULD BE DETERMINED TO BE UNABLE TO RESET. RESOLUTION: THE SYS NEEDS PARTS AT MAINT BASES OR WITHIN REACH OF ALL MAINT BASES WHEN A KNOWN CHRONIC CONDITION EXISTS OR IS LIKELY TO EXIST. WHEN A CONDITION MAY OCCUR WHEN MAINT CTLR WILL REFUSE TO RESET A PART OR INST BECAUSE OF CHRONIC CONDITIONS; THE LOG HISTORY WILL BE LISTED AS CHRONIC IN THE PAPERWORK AS A FLAG TO FLT CREW. A 'STANDARD WORK' ALGORITHM SHOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR MAINT THAT REFLECTS CHANGING MARKET CONDITIONS FOR PARTS AND PARTS HELD (OR NOT HELD) IN INVENTORY. PLTS SHOULD NOT BE ASKED TO TAKE A 'LEGAL DEFERRAL' WHEN AT THE SAME TIME; MAINT HAS NO DOUBT OF A DEFECT/FAILURE AND SIGNIFICANT HISTORY THAT A DEFECT/FAILURE CANNOT BE REPAIRED. ADDING THAT; SAID DEFECT SHOULD NOT BE SHOWN AS OPERABLE IF THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT IT IS TEMPORARY IN NATURE -- ESPECIALLY IF IT IS KNOWN OR SUSPECTED THAT IT WILL NOT REMAIN OPERABLE FOR THE DURATION OF A FLT SEGMENT.

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.