Narrative:

During preflight pulled up history of the aircraft. Write up of issue with the aircraft in 3 degree left bank and excessive rudder trim requirement to keep aircraft in level flight. The aircraft [also] had 3 additional write ups regarding same issue with flight controls. I called dispatch to refuse the aircraft based on flight control issues and inadequate maintenance answers regarding issue; and/or discovery of cause. The flight control issue clearly was not corrected. We then conferenced in with maintenance who explained that they would like us to take the aircraft from a maintenance base to another maintenance base and do some procedures in flight to give them additional information regarding the aircraft. I again refused the aircraft. We are not a [flight test] crew. As we were in operations awaiting a new aircraft; we spoke to the crew that flew the aircraft inbound. They explained that on takeoff the aircraft rolled right; right after takeoff and what they did to keep wings level. They also explained the previous maintenance regarding the write up they had in checking the fuel tanks for balance. We were then told by both the crew and the flight managers that spoke to us regarding the aircraft; that when they landed there was talk of a [test] crew flying the aircraft. It was then discovered the aircraft was assigned to a flight prior to being assigned to our flight and the captain refused the aircraft. The aircraft was then assigned to our flight after the previous captain refused the aircraft. We were assigned another aircraft within the hour. I do not have any further information on aircraft. Flight managers spoke to me directly and stated that they also refused the aircraft to fly based on the maintenance history and that they felt the issue [would have to be] corrected before it flew again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 Captain reports refusing an aircraft which has been written up several times for flight control issues with no corrective action by Maintenance. The aircraft had been refused just prior to being assigned to the reporter.

Narrative: During preflight pulled up history of the aircraft. Write up of issue with the aircraft in 3 degree left bank and excessive rudder trim requirement to keep aircraft in level flight. The aircraft [also] had 3 additional write ups regarding same issue with flight controls. I called Dispatch to refuse the aircraft based on flight control issues and inadequate maintenance answers regarding issue; and/or discovery of cause. The flight control issue clearly was not corrected. We then conferenced in with maintenance who explained that they would like us to take the aircraft from a maintenance base to another maintenance base and do some procedures in flight to give them additional information regarding the aircraft. I again refused the aircraft. We are not a [flight test] crew. As we were in operations awaiting a new aircraft; we spoke to the crew that flew the aircraft inbound. They explained that on takeoff the aircraft rolled right; right after takeoff and what they did to keep wings level. They also explained the previous maintenance regarding the write up they had in checking the fuel tanks for balance. We were then told by both the crew and the flight managers that spoke to us regarding the aircraft; that when they landed there was talk of a [test] crew flying the aircraft. It was then discovered the aircraft was assigned to a flight prior to being assigned to our flight and the Captain refused the aircraft. The aircraft was then assigned to our flight after the previous Captain refused the aircraft. We were assigned another aircraft within the hour. I do not have any further information on aircraft. Flight Managers spoke to me directly and stated that they also refused the aircraft to fly based on the maintenance history and that they felt the issue [would have to be] corrected before it flew again.

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.