<< >> NASA ASRS Report 437851, May 1999

An airbus 300 with the service interphone and the cockpit chime inoperative was being deferred when crew advised that the cockpit chime could not be deferred. Maintenance then attempted to change the placard to meet dispatch limits.

Attributes
ACN	437851
Time
Date	199905
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : phl.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine
ASRS Report	437851
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was placarded under xx-yc. The entire service interphone system was inoperative as was the chime system. I notified maintenance that the cockpit chime had to be operation. Maintenance's answer was to try to change the placard to xx-ya. I explained that item was for the phone system, which is not needed, however, the alerting system was a separate system which is needed. The flight attendants need to be able to chime me if they have an emergency in the cabin. MEL xx-ya needs a note added reminding maintenance that the cockpit chime system must be operation. This is a disturbing trend where maintenance will placard a different item such as a warning light if they are not allowed to placard the system that has failed and is generating the warning light. This must stop.

Related reports:

• Reporter protests company policy and MEL allowing cockpit to...
• A MD80 flight attendant reported the cockpit/cabin interphon...
• Flight attendant reported aircraft interphone was inoperativ...
• An airbus 320 in cruise at FL350 had flashing ceiling lights...
• A flight attendant reports departing the gate with cabin int...
• An air carrier light transport burned up a blower motor. As ...

	Enter your search terms Submit search form
	Web www.37000feet.com

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 300 WITH THE SVC INTERPHONE AND THE COCKPIT CHIME INOP WAS BEING DEFERRED WHEN CREW ADVISED THAT THE COCKPIT CHIME COULD NOT BE DEFERRED. MAINT THEN ATTEMPTED TO CHANGE THE PLACARD TO MEET DISPATCH LIMITS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS PLACARDED UNDER XX-YC. THE ENTIRE SVC INTERPHONE SYS WAS INOP AS WAS THE CHIME SYS. I NOTIFIED MAINT THAT THE COCKPIT CHIME HAD TO BE OP. MAINT'S ANSWER WAS TO TRY TO CHANGE THE PLACARD TO XX-YA. I EXPLAINED THAT ITEM WAS FOR THE PHONE SYS, WHICH IS NOT NEEDED, HOWEVER, THE ALERTING SYS WAS A SEPARATE SYS WHICH IS NEEDED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS NEED TO BE ABLE TO CHIME ME IF THEY HAVE AN EMER IN THE CABIN. MEL XX-YA NEEDS A NOTE ADDED REMINDING MAINT THAT THE COCKPIT CHIME SYS MUST BE OP. THIS IS A DISTURBING TREND WHERE MAINT WILL PLACARD A DIFFERENT ITEM SUCH AS A WARNING LIGHT IF THEY ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PLACARD THE SYS THAT HAS FAILED AND IS GENERATING THE WARNING LIGHT. THIS MUST STOP.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.