Narrative:

On preflight inspection we discovered the left inboard main landing gear (#2 brake) wheel brake wear pins were not visible and worn to the limit. Closer inspection revealed the aft wear pin worn below the guard and the forward pin barely protruding past the guard. Maintenance was contacted via phone in las station operations around XA40 for a planned XB17 departure. Las station advised of issue as well. Maintenance dispatched contract mechanic to evaluate brake wear pin measurement. No measuring device noted and upon coming to the cockpit he advised us they were 'ok.' pilots were not convinced mechanic truly measured the wear pins and queried him to the measurement and were told that the forward pin was not protruding but the aft pin was 'plus' per our visual inspection this was opposite our observations and captain returned to #2 brake with mechanic to verify his findings. Meanwhile; release came across the printer stating that the brake pins were measured at 1/32 measurement and ok to carry forward. Direct questions were asked of the mechanic: 'did you actually measure the amount of brake pin showing?' we were unable to get a clear; concise; and/or straight answer after asking the question multiple times. Mechanic then agreed that aft pin was in fact below guard and beyond limit and that forward pin was barely protruding as verified with a straight edge. Captain and mechanic called maintenance and advised findings/evaluation. Brake deactivation or removal or replacement were the only options per maintenance with aft pin below guard. Forward pin could be carried forward at 1/32. Pilots reviewed weight penalty and field conditions and agreed to take aircraft with #2 brake deactivated and deferred. Autobrakes also deferred due to MEL. Mechanic deactivated #2 brake and tested hydraulics per maintenance instructions. Dispatch coordination MEL items and confirmed performance calculations which required a runway 7L departure due 3 KT tailwind on runway 25R which was departing runway at the time. Las ATC accommodated runway 7L departure request. Landing performance for arrival also calculated to be within limits. En route; dispatch asked if captain would accept aircraft in present condition for second leg.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 FLT CREW REPORTS DISCOVERING BRAKE WEAR PINS ON PREFLIGHT THAT INDICATE BRAKES WORN BEYOND LIMITS. CONTRACT MAINTENANCE AND COMPANY ATTEMPT TO FUDGE THE SIGN OFF AND MAINTENANCE RELEASE.

Narrative: ON PREFLT INSPECTION WE DISCOVERED THE L INBOARD MAIN LNDG GEAR (#2 BRAKE) WHEEL BRAKE WEAR PINS WERE NOT VISIBLE AND WORN TO THE LIMIT. CLOSER INSPECTION REVEALED THE AFT WEAR PIN WORN BELOW THE GUARD AND THE FORWARD PIN BARELY PROTRUDING PAST THE GUARD. MAINT WAS CONTACTED VIA PHONE IN LAS STATION OPS AROUND XA40 FOR A PLANNED XB17 DEP. LAS STATION ADVISED OF ISSUE AS WELL. MAINT DISPATCHED CONTRACT MECH TO EVALUATE BRAKE WEAR PIN MEASUREMENT. NO MEASURING DEVICE NOTED AND UPON COMING TO THE COCKPIT HE ADVISED US THEY WERE 'OK.' PLTS WERE NOT CONVINCED MECH TRULY MEASURED THE WEAR PINS AND QUERIED HIM TO THE MEASUREMENT AND WERE TOLD THAT THE FORWARD PIN WAS NOT PROTRUDING BUT THE AFT PIN WAS 'PLUS' PER OUR VISUAL INSPECTION THIS WAS OPPOSITE OUR OBSERVATIONS AND CAPT RETURNED TO #2 BRAKE WITH MECH TO VERIFY HIS FINDINGS. MEANWHILE; RELEASE CAME ACROSS THE PRINTER STATING THAT THE BRAKE PINS WERE MEASURED AT 1/32 MEASUREMENT AND OK TO CARRY FORWARD. DIRECT QUESTIONS WERE ASKED OF THE MECH: 'DID YOU ACTUALLY MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF BRAKE PIN SHOWING?' WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A CLR; CONCISE; AND/OR STRAIGHT ANSWER AFTER ASKING THE QUESTION MULTIPLE TIMES. MECH THEN AGREED THAT AFT PIN WAS IN FACT BELOW GUARD AND BEYOND LIMIT AND THAT FORWARD PIN WAS BARELY PROTRUDING AS VERIFIED WITH A STRAIGHT EDGE. CAPT AND MECH CALLED MAINT AND ADVISED FINDINGS/EVALUATION. BRAKE DEACTIVATION OR REMOVAL OR REPLACEMENT WERE THE ONLY OPTIONS PER MAINT WITH AFT PIN BELOW GUARD. FORWARD PIN COULD BE CARRIED FORWARD AT 1/32. PLTS REVIEWED WT PENALTY AND FIELD CONDITIONS AND AGREED TO TAKE ACFT WITH #2 BRAKE DEACTIVATED AND DEFERRED. AUTOBRAKES ALSO DEFERRED DUE TO MEL. MECH DEACTIVATED #2 BRAKE AND TESTED HYDS PER MAINT INSTRUCTIONS. DISPATCH COORD MEL ITEMS AND CONFIRMED PERFORMANCE CALCULATIONS WHICH REQUIRED A RWY 7L DEP DUE 3 KT TAILWIND ON RWY 25R WHICH WAS DEPARTING RWY AT THE TIME. LAS ATC ACCOMMODATED RWY 7L DEP REQUEST. LNDG PERFORMANCE FOR ARR ALSO CALCULATED TO BE WITHIN LIMITS. ENRTE; DISPATCH ASKED IF CAPT WOULD ACCEPT ACFT IN PRESENT CONDITION FOR SECOND LEG.

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.