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A320 captain believes MEL item is incorrect and maintenance agrees. Learns the item description is subject to easy misinterpretation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 794585 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 110 flight time total : 9300 flight time type : 5070 |
| ASRS Report | 794585 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
In the flight papers there was a deferred item which stated the left aft slide indication inoperative on door-oxy ECAM page. The problem was that when the slide was armed the ECAM page did not show an armed indication. The MEL associated with the deferral; did not make sense when I read it. It seemed to be for a situation in which the door indication not the slide was malfunctioning. I called maintenance and the controller agreed it was the incorrect MEL and issued a new MEL. This MEL placard stated the aircraft was not to be operated at night; which I believe had already been done the night before. Also someone needs to rewrite the MEL that relates to a slide indication malfunction. MEL has misleading and incorrect information in it. It states the placard is for an ECAM 'not armed' slide indication inoperative. The problem is that the 'armed' slide indication is inoperative. Also step B states to verify the slide armed light is illuminated. This light is only illuminated when the slide is armed and the door handle is moved. Something you do not want to do when a slide is armed. Please have someone look into the wording for this placard and see if the aircraft was illegally dispatched before my flight due to an incorrect MEL placard.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 CAPTAIN BELIEVES MEL ITEM IS INCORRECT AND MAINT AGREES. LEARNS THE ITEM DESCRIPTION IS SUBJECT TO EASY MISINTERPRETATION.
Narrative: IN THE FLT PAPERS THERE WAS A DEFERRED ITEM WHICH STATED THE L AFT SLIDE INDICATION INOP ON DOOR-OXY ECAM PAGE. THE PROB WAS THAT WHEN THE SLIDE WAS ARMED THE ECAM PAGE DID NOT SHOW AN ARMED INDICATION. THE MEL ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEFERRAL; DID NOT MAKE SENSE WHEN I READ IT. IT SEEMED TO BE FOR A SITUATION IN WHICH THE DOOR INDICATION NOT THE SLIDE WAS MALFUNCTIONING. I CALLED MAINT AND THE CTLR AGREED IT WAS THE INCORRECT MEL AND ISSUED A NEW MEL. THIS MEL PLACARD STATED THE ACFT WAS NOT TO BE OPERATED AT NIGHT; WHICH I BELIEVE HAD ALREADY BEEN DONE THE NIGHT BEFORE. ALSO SOMEONE NEEDS TO REWRITE THE MEL THAT RELATES TO A SLIDE INDICATION MALFUNCTION. MEL HAS MISLEADING AND INCORRECT INFO IN IT. IT STATES THE PLACARD IS FOR AN ECAM 'NOT ARMED' SLIDE INDICATION INOP. THE PROB IS THAT THE 'ARMED' SLIDE INDICATION IS INOP. ALSO STEP B STATES TO VERIFY THE SLIDE ARMED LIGHT IS ILLUMINATED. THIS LIGHT IS ONLY ILLUMINATED WHEN THE SLIDE IS ARMED AND THE DOOR HANDLE IS MOVED. SOMETHING YOU DO NOT WANT TO DO WHEN A SLIDE IS ARMED. PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE LOOK INTO THE WORDING FOR THIS PLACARD AND SEE IF THE ACFT WAS ILLEGALLY DISPATCHED BEFORE MY FLT DUE TO AN INCORRECT MEL PLACARD.
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.