An airbus was dispatched in non compliance with spoiler elevator computer #2 and spoiler elevator co...

Attributes
ACN	601218
Time
Date	200311
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Airbus Industrie Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	other
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : fcc technician : airframe
ASRS Report	601218
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Flight Crew Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Air carrier X aircraft on nov/wed/03 called air carrier Y for a spoiler elevator computer #2 fault. After speaking with maintenance controller for air carrier X, it was determined that the aircraft cannot leave with a spoiler elevator computer #2 fault, but could with a spoiler elevator computer #3 fault and that the spoiler elevator computer #3 could be forwarded to MEL. Under maintenance controller instructions and air carrier Y maintenance manual, I swapped the spoiler elevator computer #2 and spoiler elevator computer #3, did the operations check on spoiler elevator computer #2 -- ok for service. When I came back into the cockpit the captain was on his cell phone to the maintenance controller and was forwarding the spoiler elevator computer #3 to MEL. He was signing off the MEL. I asked if the maintenance controller needed to talk to me since I swapped the boxes, he said no -- that it was covered under the MEL for the spoiler elevator computer #3. He said he was able to sign it off as per the crew and they would get a circuit breaker collar at the next air carrier X maintenance station. The first officer had the MEL book out and I read it and it did say the crew could forward the spoiler elevator computer #3 to MEL. I didn't see where it said anything about swapping the boxes (spoiler elevator computer #2 and spoiler elevator computer #3). I then asked again if the maintenance controller needed me to sign off what I had done? The captain again asked on the phone if the maintenance controller needed to speak with maintenance and he, in turn, told me no. I think the crew was afraid of getting stuck here and so they were pushing to move the aircraft. With maintenance controller being from another air carrier, I was not aware of all the internal paperwork and was working under the instruction of air carrier Y maintenance controller. When asked twice if I needed to put anything in the book and told twice by the captain who was on the phone with maintenance controller no, that he could do all the paperwork -- I let it go.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #2 AND SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3 SWAPPED TO ALLOW DEFERRAL OF #3 SYS PER THE MEL. BUT NO CONTRACT TECHNICIAN LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE OF ACTION TAKEN.

Narrative: ACR X ACFT ON NOV/WED/03 CALLED ACR Y FOR A SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #2 FAULT. AFTER SPEAKING WITH MAINT CTLR FOR ACR X, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE ACFT CANNOT LEAVE WITH A SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #2 FAULT, BUT COULD WITH A SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3 FAULT AND THAT THE SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3 COULD BE FORWARDED TO MEL. UNDER MAINT CTLR INSTRUCTIONS AND ACR Y MAINT MANUAL, I SWAPPED THE SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #2 AND SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3, DID THE OPS CHK ON SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #2 -- OK FOR SVC. WHEN I CAME BACK INTO THE COCKPIT THE CAPT WAS ON HIS CELL PHONE TO THE MAINT CTLR AND WAS FORWARDING THE SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3 TO MEL. HE WAS SIGNING OFF THE MEL. I ASKED IF THE MAINT CTLR NEEDED TO TALK TO ME SINCE I SWAPPED THE BOXES, HE SAID NO -- THAT IT WAS COVERED UNDER THE MEL FOR THE SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3. HE SAID HE WAS ABLE TO SIGN IT OFF AS PER THE CREW AND THEY WOULD GET A CIRCUIT BREAKER COLLAR AT THE NEXT ACR X MAINT STATION. THE FO HAD THE MEL BOOK OUT AND I READ IT AND IT DID SAY THE CREW COULD FORWARD THE SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3 TO MEL. I DIDN'T SEE WHERE IT SAID ANYTHING ABOUT SWAPPING THE BOXES (SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #2 AND SPOILER ELEVATOR COMPUTER #3). I THEN ASKED AGAIN IF THE MAINT CTLR NEEDED ME TO SIGN OFF WHAT I HAD DONE? THE CAPT AGAIN ASKED ON THE PHONE IF THE MAINT CTLR NEEDED TO SPEAK WITH MAINT AND HE, IN TURN, TOLD ME NO. I THINK THE CREW WAS AFRAID OF GETTING STUCK HERE AND SO THEY WERE PUSHING TO MOVE THE ACFT. WITH MAINT CTLR BEING FROM ANOTHER ACR, I WAS NOT AWARE OF ALL THE INTERNAL PAPERWORK AND WAS WORKING UNDER THE INSTRUCTION OF ACR Y MAINT CTLR. WHEN ASKED TWICE IF I NEEDED TO PUT ANYTHING IN THE BOOK AND TOLD TWICE BY THE CAPT WHO WAS ON THE PHONE WITH MAINT CTLR NO, THAT HE COULD DO ALL THE PAPERWORK -- I LET IT GO.

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 airbus was dispatched in non compliance with spoiler elevator computer #2 and spoiler elevator computer #3 swapped to allow deferral of #3 system per the MEL. But no contract technician logbook entry was made of action taken.