An A320 was dispatched in non compliance with 1 air conditioning pack deferred as inoperative and th...

Attributes
ACN	546785
Time
Date	200204
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	546785
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : right pack switch indication other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

At gate in ZZZ, on an A320 going from ZZZ to ZZZ1 we had the #1 pack deferred and the APU was supposed to be deferred also. However it was running with the deferred sticker on it when we arrived at the aircraft. In addition, the #2 pack would not come on line after several attempts to cycle pack and the APU bleed. We called ZZZ maintenance. They came on board and removed the mrd sticker from the APU saying that an oil leak had been fixed. Maintenance also said that the previous captain had just declined the aircraft because of the APU pack problem. After several more attempts to get the #2 pack online by doing exactly what we had done before, cycle pack and bleed, #2 pack came online. We had a discussion about how the A320 pack switches act on the airbus and about going from ZZZ to ZZZ1 with a newly fixed APU, deferred #1 pack and a #2 pack that had trouble coming online. The WX was mostly VFR but I was a little concerned about over the mountains with 1 pack, and one that we had to coax to come online. I was PF and passing about FL240. I asked my first officer to pull up the bleed page and then to turn on the #1 pack. The valve opened and the pack worked as advertised with all temperatures and pressures normal. I monitored the pack and sent an FYI to air carrier maintenance. The pack operated as advertised the entire flight and during taxi to the gate at ZZZ1 we cycled the pack switch several times and both the pack and the bleed operated normally. I can't remember all the write ups on the #1 pack but if there had been any abnormal temperatures or pressures etc, I would not have operated the pack. I know now that I should not have. I considered it a safer course of action to have both packs online especially because the good pack was slow to come online. I wanted 2 packs online as we were going over the rockies. I am the captain of this flight and I accept full responsibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH 1 AIR CONDITIONING PACK DEFERRED AS INOP AND THE OTHER PACK WOULD NOT COME ONLINE WITHOUT CYCLING THE PACK AND BLEED SWITCH.

Narrative: AT GATE IN ZZZ, ON AN A320 GOING FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WE HAD THE #1 PACK DEFERRED AND THE APU WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DEFERRED ALSO. HOWEVER IT WAS RUNNING WITH THE DEFERRED STICKER ON IT WHEN WE ARRIVED AT THE ACFT. IN ADDITION, THE #2 PACK WOULD NOT COME ON LINE AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO CYCLE PACK AND THE APU BLEED. WE CALLED ZZZ MAINT. THEY CAME ON BOARD AND REMOVED THE MRD STICKER FROM THE APU SAYING THAT AN OIL LEAK HAD BEEN FIXED. MAINT ALSO SAID THAT THE PREVIOUS CAPT HAD JUST DECLINED THE ACFT BECAUSE OF THE APU PACK PROB. AFTER SEVERAL MORE ATTEMPTS TO GET THE #2 PACK ONLINE BY DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE HAD DONE BEFORE, CYCLE PACK AND BLEED, #2 PACK CAME ONLINE. WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THE A320 PACK SWITCHES ACT ON THE AIRBUS AND ABOUT GOING FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1 WITH A NEWLY FIXED APU, DEFERRED #1 PACK AND A #2 PACK THAT HAD TROUBLE COMING ONLINE. THE WX WAS MOSTLY VFR BUT I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT OVER THE MOUNTAINS WITH 1 PACK, AND ONE THAT WE HAD TO COAX TO COME ONLINE. I WAS PF AND PASSING ABOUT FL240. I ASKED MY FO TO PULL UP THE BLEED PAGE AND THEN TO TURN ON THE #1 PACK. THE VALVE OPENED AND THE PACK WORKED AS ADVERTISED WITH ALL TEMPS AND PRESSURES NORMAL. I MONITORED THE PACK AND SENT AN FYI TO ACR MAINT. THE PACK OPERATED AS ADVERTISED THE ENTIRE FLT AND DURING TAXI TO THE GATE AT ZZZ1 WE CYCLED THE PACK SWITCH SEVERAL TIMES AND BOTH THE PACK AND THE BLEED OPERATED NORMALLY. I CAN'T REMEMBER ALL THE WRITE UPS ON THE #1 PACK BUT IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY ABNORMAL TEMPS OR PRESSURES ETC, I WOULD NOT HAVE OPERATED THE PACK. I KNOW NOW THAT I SHOULD NOT HAVE. I CONSIDERED IT A SAFER COURSE OF ACTION TO HAVE BOTH PACKS ONLINE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE THE GOOD PACK WAS SLOW TO COME ONLINE. I WANTED 2 PACKS ONLINE AS WE WERE GOING OVER THE ROCKIES. I AM THE CAPT OF THIS FLT AND I ACCEPT FULL RESPONSIBILITY.

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.

An A320 was dispatched in non compliance with 1 air conditioning pack deferred as inoperative and the other pack would not come online without cycling the pack and bleed switch.