Narrative:

After putting a new aircraft into service we developed an intermittent intercom communication system (ics) issue between the front [pilots] and back seats. The ics was MEL'd on this date. Troubleshooting was accomplished two days later with the aircraft in-service. Problem could not be duplicated and MEL was removed. Ics failed again five days later and was again MEL'd. Aircraft was taken out of service to troubleshoot the aircraft. Forward ics panel was replaced the following day; as well as rang-out [electrical] wiring with the assistance of company avionics support. All wires rang out correctly and issue could not be duplicated during a ground run or flight check. MEL was again cleared. During troubleshooting on the same day; I was asked to defer the maintenance till the next day. I do realize we need to keep our aircraft in service as much as possible to keep our customer happy and keep generating revenue. I am being pressured to put off unscheduled maintenance to a later date. Not only is this just plain wrong; it puts my crew in an unsafe situation. I will not compromise the safety of my crew to schedule unforeseen/intermittent problems with the aircraft. I cannot resolve intermittent issues at a convenient time; I have no choice but to troubleshoot the system when it occurs. This system can only be MEL'd for three days and for good reason; it is a system that needs to function correctly to keep communication between the pilot and crew open and safety at its highest. The customer must understand that I am doing my best to provide a safe and fully functional aircraft and not dictate when I perform unscheduled maintenance. This will potentially and eventually cause an accident in the future if all maintenance has to be scheduled. I need support to be able to maintain my aircraft in the safest way I can and to not be pressured by the customer to defer maintenance. I have always done my best to keep my aircraft in service as much as possible and to be available at all times. My unscheduled 'out of service' time speaks for itself. I maintain my aircraft at the highest level possible and I will not compromise safety for anyone. My crews' lives depend on me doing my job the best I can. If I am being pressured to put maintenance off this is a safety of flight issue and needs to be resolved and soon.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Lead Mechanic reported a chronic intercom failure between the front seat pilots and the back seat Medic and Flight Nurse on a Eurocopter AS-350. He also noted the lack of support from his Management to perform proper troubleshooting and pressure to continue deferring the intercom discrepancy.

Narrative: After putting a new aircraft into service we developed an intermittent Intercom Communication System (ICS) issue between the front [pilots] and back seats. The ICS was MEL'd on this date. Troubleshooting was accomplished two days later with the aircraft in-service. Problem could not be duplicated and MEL was removed. ICS failed again five days later and was again MEL'd. Aircraft was taken out of service to troubleshoot the aircraft. Forward ICS panel was replaced the following day; as well as rang-out [electrical] wiring with the assistance of company Avionics support. All wires rang out correctly and issue could not be duplicated during a ground run or flight check. MEL was again cleared. During troubleshooting on the same day; I was asked to defer the maintenance till the next day. I do realize we need to keep our aircraft in service as much as possible to keep our customer happy and keep generating revenue. I am being pressured to put off unscheduled maintenance to a later date. Not only is this just plain wrong; it puts my crew in an unsafe situation. I will NOT compromise the safety of my crew to schedule unforeseen/intermittent problems with the aircraft. I cannot resolve intermittent issues at a convenient time; I have no choice but to troubleshoot the system when it occurs. This system can only be MEL'd for three days and for good reason; it is a system that needs to function correctly to keep communication between the Pilot and Crew open and safety at its highest. The customer must understand that I am doing my best to provide a safe and fully functional aircraft and not dictate when I perform unscheduled maintenance. This will potentially and eventually cause an accident in the future if all maintenance has to be scheduled. I need support to be able to maintain my aircraft in the safest way I can and to not be pressured by the customer to defer maintenance. I have always done my best to keep my aircraft in service as much as possible and to be available at all times. My unscheduled 'Out of Service' time speaks for itself. I maintain my aircraft at the highest level possible and I will not compromise safety for anyone. My crews' lives depend on me doing my job the best I can. If I am being pressured to put maintenance off this is a safety of flight issue and needs to be resolved and soon.

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.