Narrative:

After arriving at the aircraft I noticed the crew oxygen was at 1;020 psi (full is 1;800 and the amber alert comes on at approximately 1;500). I requested maintenance service the crew oxygen bottle prior to departure since there was sufficient time allowed to change out the bottles and since we were at a major maintenance base. Maintenance arrived at the aircraft approximately 15 minutes later and informed me that the MEL permitted dispatch with only 552 psi with a crew of 2 and would not replace it. I told him that 13 minutes of oxygen at 100% is not adequate for smoke and fumes and to land at the nearest suitable airport. He reiterated that he would not change it because the MEL allows crew oxygen to go as low as 552 psi. I wrote it up on the overnight. I do not know if it was filled prior to departure the next morning; but I doubt it.there is; in my opinion; a concerted effort on maintenance and management to dictate what is considered safe for flight without any input from the pilots who fly them. We had a rash of pilots with fumes on airplanes and some have lost their medicals. Pilots are no longer permitted to enforce their convictions on the safety of the passengers and airplane. The FAA in conjunction with management and aircraft manufacturers have now taken it upon themselves to decide when and where airplanes will be repaired; regardless of whether they pass through a maintenance base with available parts.it is all about running the airline on time and playing the safety odds. The captain used to be the person who decided if the aircraft was safe for flight. Now captains are threatened with their jobs and livelihood if they refuse to fly an airplane that is deemed airworthy by the FAA approved MEL. Pilots have no input on mels.pilots should be the final authority as to whether a tire is changed or oxygen minimum levels increased prior to departure. They can always question a pilot's reasoning after the fact. The pilot's union has a safety committee and has asked the airline to work with the pilots to satisfy pilot safety issues; but the airline has refused to do so; probably because it will cost them more money.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: An A319 Captain reported the refusal of Maintenance to refill the crew oxygen bottle; which indicated 1;020 PSI; declaring that the existing pressure was nearly twice the MEL minimum for two flight deck occupants. The reporter responded to this refusal by noting what he believed to be the purposeful and ongoing effort on the part of the company to overrule the command authority of the Captain.

Narrative: After arriving at the aircraft I noticed the crew oxygen was at 1;020 PSI (full is 1;800 and the amber alert comes on at approximately 1;500). I requested Maintenance service the crew oxygen bottle prior to departure since there was sufficient time allowed to change out the bottles and since we were at a major maintenance base. Maintenance arrived at the aircraft approximately 15 minutes later and informed me that the MEL permitted dispatch with only 552 PSI with a crew of 2 and would not replace it. I told him that 13 minutes of oxygen at 100% is not adequate for smoke and fumes and to land at the nearest suitable airport. He reiterated that he would not change it because the MEL allows crew oxygen to go as low as 552 PSI. I wrote it up on the overnight. I do not know if it was filled prior to departure the next morning; but I doubt it.There is; in my opinion; a concerted effort on Maintenance and Management to dictate what is considered safe for flight without any input from the pilots who fly them. We had a rash of pilots with fumes on airplanes and some have lost their medicals. Pilots are no longer permitted to enforce their convictions on the safety of the passengers and airplane. The FAA in conjunction with Management and aircraft manufacturers have now taken it upon themselves to decide when and where airplanes will be repaired; regardless of whether they pass through a maintenance base with available parts.It is all about running the airline on time and playing the safety odds. The Captain used to be the person who decided if the aircraft was safe for flight. Now captains are threatened with their jobs and livelihood if they refuse to fly an airplane that is deemed airworthy by the FAA approved MEL. Pilots have no input on MELs.Pilots should be the final authority as to whether a tire is changed or oxygen minimum levels increased prior to departure. They can always question a pilot's reasoning after the fact. The pilot's union has a safety committee and has asked the airline to work with the pilots to satisfy pilot safety issues; but the airline has refused to do so; probably because it will cost them more money.

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.