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A320 flight crew refuses to accept the aircraft for flight until conformity and integrity tests are performed.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 689576 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200603 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : iad.airport |
| State Reference | VA |
| 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 : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 23000 flight time type : 1700 |
| ASRS Report | 689576 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Ambiguous |
Narrative:
Upon arrival at aircraft we noted a great deal of speed tape covering #1 engine thrust reverser cowling. Large chunks of paint were falling off revealing fiberglas underneath; and extensive areas of cracking in the paint were noticed in random patterns and spider cracking. We could not find a write-up addressing the issue until maintenance provided an old version of it in which no documentation was available that indicated that structural integrity had not been compromised. We asked for this but were thrown into a confrontational 'pilot pushing' encounter with the maintenance engine controller; insisting that follow-up wasn't necessary and it was only cracking paint. I insisted that I would refuse the airplane until conformity and integrity checks were performed on the cowling. Maintenance and maintenance control continued to push us to accept the airplane. Dispatch was kept in the loop. This kind of pilot pushing; in direct contradiction to the FARS requiring the captain's approval of the aircraft for flight have no place in this operation.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A320 FLT CREW REFUSES TO ACCEPT THE ACFT FOR FLT UNTIL CONFORMITY AND INTEGRITY TESTS ARE PERFORMED.
Narrative: UPON ARR AT ACFT WE NOTED A GREAT DEAL OF SPD TAPE COVERING #1 ENG THRUST REVERSER COWLING. LARGE CHUNKS OF PAINT WERE FALLING OFF REVEALING FIBERGLAS UNDERNEATH; AND EXTENSIVE AREAS OF CRACKING IN THE PAINT WERE NOTICED IN RANDOM PATTERNS AND SPIDER CRACKING. WE COULD NOT FIND A WRITE-UP ADDRESSING THE ISSUE UNTIL MAINT PROVIDED AN OLD VERSION OF IT IN WHICH NO DOCUMENTATION WAS AVAILABLE THAT INDICATED THAT STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY HAD NOT BEEN COMPROMISED. WE ASKED FOR THIS BUT WERE THROWN INTO A CONFRONTATIONAL 'PLT PUSHING' ENCOUNTER WITH THE MAINT ENG CTLR; INSISTING THAT FOLLOW-UP WASN'T NECESSARY AND IT WAS ONLY CRACKING PAINT. I INSISTED THAT I WOULD REFUSE THE AIRPLANE UNTIL CONFORMITY AND INTEGRITY CHKS WERE PERFORMED ON THE COWLING. MAINT AND MAINT CTL CONTINUED TO PUSH US TO ACCEPT THE AIRPLANE. DISPATCH WAS KEPT IN THE LOOP. THIS KIND OF PLT PUSHING; IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO THE FARS REQUIRING THE CAPT'S APPROVAL OF THE ACFT FOR FLT HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS OP.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.