Narrative:

I had told dispatch in operations I would be refusing aircraft X in ZZZ if the atsu was not fixed. En route when I pulled up the papers they had not fixed atsu. I sent a refusal message to dispatch approximately 40 mins before landing in ZZZ. Would have done it sooner except dispatcher had not loaded flight plan as I had asked. The following is the main purpose for this report. As I was walking to gate xx in ZZZ I received a phone call from the ZZZ flight office. His request was 'did I need any help.' I replied; 'concerning what.' he proceeded that everything was 'falling apart at gate xx.' this was due my refusal. I told him I had no idea what was going on at the gate as I was not there yet. I asked why he was really calling me? Was he trying to push me to take an airplane I deemed not suitable to fly? He said he wasn't but maintenance had called him (I disagree with what he said). I told him when maintenance fixed the jet we would leave. I felt this phone call was for only one purpose and that was to push me to fly an aircraft I said was unfit. There is no other purpose for this call. What kind of help do I need? I don't fix them; the call might have been better served to the maintenance department. Why is maintenance calling the flight office they only answer is for them to try to get the flight office to convince me to change my mind. There is no place for this in my book. I as the captain make the final decision as to the airworthiness of the jet. Once that decision is made; no phone call will change my mind. Any phone calls like this can only be interpreted as them pushing me to fly. These calls need to stop immediately. I was later told by the mechanic (who was totally professional and helpful) that 2 people had been to the jet looking for me.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 CAPTAIN REFUSED TO FLY AN AIRCRAFT WITH A FAILED ACARS BUT HIS ACR PUT PRESSURE ON HIM TO ACCEPT AN AIRCRAFT THAT HE FELT WAS UNSAFE.

Narrative: I HAD TOLD DISPATCH IN OPS I WOULD BE REFUSING ACFT X IN ZZZ IF THE ATSU WAS NOT FIXED. ENRTE WHEN I PULLED UP THE PAPERS THEY HAD NOT FIXED ATSU. I SENT A REFUSAL MESSAGE TO DISPATCH APPROX 40 MINS BEFORE LNDG IN ZZZ. WOULD HAVE DONE IT SOONER EXCEPT DISPATCHER HAD NOT LOADED FLT PLAN AS I HAD ASKED. THE FOLLOWING IS THE MAIN PURPOSE FOR THIS RPT. AS I WAS WALKING TO GATE XX IN ZZZ I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM THE ZZZ FLT OFFICE. HIS REQUEST WAS 'DID I NEED ANY HELP.' I REPLIED; 'CONCERNING WHAT.' HE PROCEEDED THAT EVERYTHING WAS 'FALLING APART AT GATE XX.' THIS WAS DUE MY REFUSAL. I TOLD HIM I HAD NO IDEA WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THE GATE AS I WAS NOT THERE YET. I ASKED WHY HE WAS REALLY CALLING ME? WAS HE TRYING TO PUSH ME TO TAKE AN AIRPLANE I DEEMED NOT SUITABLE TO FLY? HE SAID HE WASN'T BUT MAINT HAD CALLED HIM (I DISAGREE WITH WHAT HE SAID). I TOLD HIM WHEN MAINT FIXED THE JET WE WOULD LEAVE. I FELT THIS PHONE CALL WAS FOR ONLY ONE PURPOSE AND THAT WAS TO PUSH ME TO FLY AN ACFT I SAID WAS UNFIT. THERE IS NO OTHER PURPOSE FOR THIS CALL. WHAT KIND OF HELP DO I NEED? I DON'T FIX THEM; THE CALL MIGHT HAVE BEEN BETTER SERVED TO THE MAINT DEPT. WHY IS MAINT CALLING THE FLIGHT OFFICE THEY ONLY ANSWER IS FOR THEM TO TRY TO GET THE FLT OFFICE TO CONVINCE ME TO CHANGE MY MIND. THERE IS NO PLACE FOR THIS IN MY BOOK. I AS THE CAPT MAKE THE FINAL DECISION AS TO THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE JET. ONCE THAT DECISION IS MADE; NO PHONE CALL WILL CHANGE MY MIND. ANY PHONE CALLS LIKE THIS CAN ONLY BE INTERPED AS THEM PUSHING ME TO FLY. THESE CALLS NEED TO STOP IMMEDIATELY. I WAS LATER TOLD BY THE MECH (WHO WAS TOTALLY PROFESSIONAL AND HELPFUL) THAT 2 PEOPLE HAD BEEN TO THE JET LOOKING FOR ME.

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.