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A320 crew had an ECAM hot brake message. The crew attempted to release the brakes in accordance with sops. The gate mechanic refused to chock the wheels.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 627578 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200408 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo.airport |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A320 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 4000 flight time type : 1300 |
| ASRS Report | 627578 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : ecam brake temperature indicators other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted other |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Company |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
After parking in sfo, we got hot brakes ECAM message. I went down to try and get someone to chock the main gear so that we could release the brakes as per SOP. A mechanic would not chock the plane for me and would not let me chock the plane myself. We conferred with the crew that was going to be taking the plane out and they agreed that the brakes would cool sufficiently prior to departure, rather than make a big deal of it right there and then with the mechanic. The mechanic informed me that their maintenance manual overrode our flight manual and they did not have any directive telling them to chock the wheels and release the brakes when they were hot. He thought that it would be dangerous to chock the main gear when they were not used to doing it and that it would possibly lead to an incident on pushback. It appeared that the plane departed without incident. I don't know if they do have a directive to chock the gear, but they should if they don't already.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 CREW HAD AN ECAM HOT BRAKE MESSAGE. THE CREW ATTEMPTED TO RELEASE THE BRAKES IN ACCORDANCE WITH SOPS. THE GATE MECH REFUSED TO CHOCK THE WHEELS.
Narrative: AFTER PARKING IN SFO, WE GOT HOT BRAKES ECAM MESSAGE. I WENT DOWN TO TRY AND GET SOMEONE TO CHOCK THE MAIN GEAR SO THAT WE COULD RELEASE THE BRAKES AS PER SOP. A MECH WOULD NOT CHOCK THE PLANE FOR ME AND WOULD NOT LET ME CHOCK THE PLANE MYSELF. WE CONFERRED WITH THE CREW THAT WAS GOING TO BE TAKING THE PLANE OUT AND THEY AGREED THAT THE BRAKES WOULD COOL SUFFICIENTLY PRIOR TO DEP, RATHER THAN MAKE A BIG DEAL OF IT RIGHT THERE AND THEN WITH THE MECH. THE MECH INFORMED ME THAT THEIR MAINT MANUAL OVERRODE OUR FLT MANUAL AND THEY DID NOT HAVE ANY DIRECTIVE TELLING THEM TO CHOCK THE WHEELS AND RELEASE THE BRAKES WHEN THEY WERE HOT. HE THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO CHOCK THE MAIN GEAR WHEN THEY WERE NOT USED TO DOING IT AND THAT IT WOULD POSSIBLY LEAD TO AN INCIDENT ON PUSHBACK. IT APPEARED THAT THE PLANE DEPARTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY DO HAVE A DIRECTIVE TO CHOCK THE GEAR, BUT THEY SHOULD IF THEY DON'T ALREADY.
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.