An A320 with nineteen previous cockpit door lock maintenance write-ups was refused by a flight crew ...

Attributes
ACN	801269
Time
Date	200808
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 : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 10000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	801269
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

During preflight; refused the aircraft due to chronic write-ups involving the cockpit door locking mechanism. A minimum of 19 previous entries existed concerning failures of the cockpit door locking system. The current deferral gripe was 'cockpit door top latch is not engaging. It is not vertical. No fault light.' maintenance action completed to clear the item was cycling the cockpit door unlock/lock switch. During flight; climbing through FL200; the cockpit door open light illuminated. In addition; all the cockpit door latches were found to be in the unlocked position; resulting in an unsecured door. This was consistent with numerous previous gripes. Recycled door switch and verified door latches in locked position. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that when he accepted the aircraft for flight following the previous flight; maintenance had just cleared the door lock write up by recycling the switch. Sometime during climb after takeoff; the door lock failed again making this the twentieth failure. The crew at that point refused to fly the aircraft on the next flight because of chronic door lock failures. The reporter checked the aircraft's maintenance history and to date it had not been fixed. The reporter does not see the airbus door lock system as a chronic failure system.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WITH NINETEEN PREVIOUS COCKPIT DOOR LOCK MAINTENANCE WRITE-UPS WAS REFUSED BY A FLT CREW FOLLOWING A FLT WITH ANOTHER DOOR LOCK FAILURE.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT; REFUSED THE ACFT DUE TO CHRONIC WRITE-UPS INVOLVING THE COCKPIT DOOR LOCKING MECHANISM. A MINIMUM OF 19 PREVIOUS ENTRIES EXISTED CONCERNING FAILURES OF THE COCKPIT DOOR LOCKING SYS. THE CURRENT DEFERRAL GRIPE WAS 'COCKPIT DOOR TOP LATCH IS NOT ENGAGING. IT IS NOT VERT. NO FAULT LIGHT.' MAINT ACTION COMPLETED TO CLR THE ITEM WAS CYCLING THE COCKPIT DOOR UNLOCK/LOCK SWITCH. DURING FLT; CLBING THROUGH FL200; THE COCKPIT DOOR OPEN LIGHT ILLUMINATED. IN ADDITION; ALL THE COCKPIT DOOR LATCHES WERE FOUND TO BE IN THE UNLOCKED POS; RESULTING IN AN UNSECURED DOOR. THIS WAS CONSISTENT WITH NUMEROUS PREVIOUS GRIPES. RECYCLED DOOR SWITCH AND VERIFIED DOOR LATCHES IN LOCKED POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPORTER STATED THAT WHEN HE ACCEPTED THE ACFT FOR FLT FOLLOWING THE PREVIOUS FLT; MAINTENANCE HAD JUST CLEARED THE DOOR LOCK WRITE UP BY RECYCLING THE SWITCH. SOMETIME DURING CLIMB AFTER TKOF; THE DOOR LOCK FAILED AGAIN MAKING THIS THE TWENTIETH FAILURE. THE CREW AT THAT POINT REFUSED TO FLY THE ACFT ON THE NEXT FLT BECAUSE OF CHRONIC DOOR LOCK FAILURES. THE REPORTER CHECKED THE ACFT'S MAINTENANCE HISTORY AND TO DATE IT HAD NOT BEEN FIXED. THE REPORTER DOES NOT SEE THE AIRBUS DOOR LOCK SYSTEM AS A CHRONIC FAILURE SYSTEM.

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.

An A320 with nineteen previous cockpit door lock maintenance write-ups was refused by a flight crew following a flight with another door lock failure.