Narrative:

I was doing a maintenance computer system review of the A320 fleet and found aircraft X with a deferred item open; a broken backshell on aft cargo door proximity switch 12MJ. It was deferred using the procedures manual. This was an improper deferral. The procedures manual states that electrical connectors must be repaired per the electrical standard practices chapters of the applicable fleet specific manual or general manual. I assigned the item to ZZZ1 maintenance on a turn. A ZZZ1 mechanic called me and said that he was just going to disconnect the connector on 12MJ proximity switch. I told him that he needed to find the correct reference before he could do that because the MEL did not address removing the connector to deactivate the system. He told me that he did not have time to look it up and that he was going to defer the aft cargo door indication. I told him this was not correct. I called the station line maintenance controller and told him that the deferral was not correct and needed to be addressed before departure; he hung up the phone on me. I called back and he gave the phone to his manager. I once again told him that the deferral was improper and that it needed to be addressed. The aircraft departed ZZZ1 with the deferral open. The aircraft was headed to ZZZ2 and I assigned the deferral to them. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated their carrier's procedures manual clearly states that maintenance cannot use their procedures manual to defer items involving electrical issues. Maintenance must use the appropriate fleet manual; and in this case; that would be an airbus fleet manual; and possibly the system wiring schematics manual also; for a deferral of the broken backshell on the aft cargo door proximity switch. Reporter stated the line mechanic then told him he was just going to disconnect the cannon plug with the broken backshell and defer the aft cargo door as having an indication problem using an MEL deferral procedure. Reporter stated he told mechanic he could not defer a known maintenance problem of the broken backshell; as an indication problem; when there was not an indication issue. The mechanic ignored his comments. Reporter also stated their maintenance computer system accepted the MEL as a deferrable indication item; and that was why the maintenance release was issued before he could stop the aircraft's departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Maintenance Controller reports on his unsuccessful attempts to stop an improper maintenance deferral of a broken backshell on an A320 aft cargo door proximity switch; by a mechanic; prior to the aircraft's release.

Narrative: I was doing a Maintenance Computer System review of the A320 fleet and found Aircraft X with a deferred item open; a broken backshell on aft cargo door proximity switch 12MJ. It was deferred using the Procedures Manual. This was an improper deferral. The Procedures Manual states that electrical connectors must be repaired per the electrical standard practices chapters of the applicable fleet specific manual or General Manual. I assigned the item to ZZZ1 maintenance on a turn. A ZZZ1 Mechanic called me and said that he was just going to disconnect the connector on 12MJ proximity switch. I told him that he needed to find the correct reference before he could do that because the MEL did not address removing the connector to deactivate the system. He told me that he did not have time to look it up and that he was going to defer the aft cargo door indication. I told him this was not correct. I called the Station Line Maintenance Controller and told him that the deferral was not correct and needed to be addressed before departure; he hung up the phone on me. I called back and he gave the phone to his manager. I once again told him that the deferral was improper and that it needed to be addressed. The aircraft departed ZZZ1 with the deferral open. The aircraft was headed to ZZZ2 and I assigned the deferral to them. Callback conversation with Reporter revealed the following information: Reporter stated their carrier's Procedures Manual clearly states that maintenance cannot use their Procedures Manual to defer items involving electrical issues. Maintenance must use the appropriate Fleet Manual; and in this case; that would be an Airbus Fleet Manual; and possibly the System Wiring Schematics Manual also; for a deferral of the broken backshell on the aft cargo door proximity switch. Reporter stated the Line Mechanic then told him he was just going to disconnect the cannon plug with the broken backshell and defer the aft cargo door as having an indication problem using an MEL deferral procedure. Reporter stated he told Mechanic he could not defer a known maintenance problem of the broken backshell; as an indication problem; when there was not an indication issue. The Mechanic ignored his comments. Reporter also stated their Maintenance Computer System accepted the MEL as a deferrable indication item; and that was why the Maintenance Release was issued before he could stop the aircraft's departure.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.