Narrative:

After 25 mins prior to departure; the crew wrote up a cabin item -- rear galley overhead light inoperative -- and followed up with a call to local maintenance. Approximately 5 mins later; a new maintenance release came across the cockpit printer with the light deferred and an MEL number. The captain pulled the MEL and saw that a deferred sticker was required; so I then called the aft cabin to see if maintenance had in fact come aboard the aircraft. To my surprise no maintenance personnel had come on board to do the required work. After calling local zone operations and then maintenance informing them that I needed to talk to a maintenance supervisor; about 5 mins later a supervisor came up to see what the problem was. After informing him of the maintenance release without work being completed; he informed me that was how ZZZ did their operation for efficiency and lack of manpower and that the mechanic would eventually come and follow up prior to departure -- local SOP. I informed the supervisor that this was a violation of FARS and company SOP and that as crews we are to watch out for this. The supervisor was receptive and said the next morning briefings would have to include this information and change how they did things. The supervisor then left with 5 mins to go till on-time departure. With the agent trying to close the door the sticker for deferral still had not been addressed; so we waited till the local mechanic finished the work he originally signed off as complete was done. This took 2 more calls to get the mechanic out. The airplane departed with the original maintenance release from 20 mins prior and left the gate 10 mins late.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPTAIN REPORTS THAT MAINTENANCE IS DEFERRING LOG BOOK WRITE-UPS PRIOR TO ACTUALLY COMPLYING WITH THE MEL PROCEDURE.

Narrative: AFTER 25 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; THE CREW WROTE UP A CABIN ITEM -- REAR GALLEY OVERHEAD LIGHT INOP -- AND FOLLOWED UP WITH A CALL TO LOCAL MAINT. APPROX 5 MINS LATER; A NEW MAINT RELEASE CAME ACROSS THE COCKPIT PRINTER WITH THE LIGHT DEFERRED AND AN MEL NUMBER. THE CAPT PULLED THE MEL AND SAW THAT A DEFERRED STICKER WAS REQUIRED; SO I THEN CALLED THE AFT CABIN TO SEE IF MAINT HAD IN FACT COME ABOARD THE ACFT. TO MY SURPRISE NO MAINT PERSONNEL HAD COME ON BOARD TO DO THE REQUIRED WORK. AFTER CALLING LOCAL ZONE OPS AND THEN MAINT INFORMING THEM THAT I NEEDED TO TALK TO A MAINT SUPVR; ABOUT 5 MINS LATER A SUPVR CAME UP TO SEE WHAT THE PROB WAS. AFTER INFORMING HIM OF THE MAINT RELEASE WITHOUT WORK BEING COMPLETED; HE INFORMED ME THAT WAS HOW ZZZ DID THEIR OP FOR EFFICIENCY AND LACK OF MANPOWER AND THAT THE MECH WOULD EVENTUALLY COME AND FOLLOW UP PRIOR TO DEP -- LOCAL SOP. I INFORMED THE SUPVR THAT THIS WAS A VIOLATION OF FARS AND COMPANY SOP AND THAT AS CREWS WE ARE TO WATCH OUT FOR THIS. THE SUPVR WAS RECEPTIVE AND SAID THE NEXT MORNING BRIEFINGS WOULD HAVE TO INCLUDE THIS INFO AND CHANGE HOW THEY DID THINGS. THE SUPVR THEN LEFT WITH 5 MINS TO GO TILL ON-TIME DEP. WITH THE AGENT TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOOR THE STICKER FOR DEFERRAL STILL HAD NOT BEEN ADDRESSED; SO WE WAITED TILL THE LOCAL MECH FINISHED THE WORK HE ORIGINALLY SIGNED OFF AS COMPLETE WAS DONE. THIS TOOK 2 MORE CALLS TO GET THE MECH OUT. THE AIRPLANE DEPARTED WITH THE ORIGINAL MAINT RELEASE FROM 20 MINS PRIOR AND LEFT THE GATE 10 MINS LATE.

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.