Narrative:

This report is being written to address the maintenance practices at ZZZ and the operation of the aircraft with exposed wiring. We brought aircraft X in from ZZZ1 to ZZZ that morning. In fact; we took this aircraft from ZZZ2 the evening before. Prior maintenance had been performed on the wiring harness which goes to the window heat and map light both. The map light did not work and the wiring harness was loose and out of its covering; though the operation of the window heat was not in question. We wrote up the map light and asked for an inspection of the installation of the harness; as its integrity was in doubt. Maintenance originally addressed the write-up with the first officer; and felt that the wiring required no further inspection. Additionally; they deferred the map light; and sent a new mrd (maintenance release document). The captain returned to the aircraft and asked the first officer if an integrity inspection of the installation had been performed. When he was told that maintenance thought it was unnecessary; he contacted maintenance for clarification. Maintenance returned to the aircraft and insisted that all paperwork had been properly completed. They added that it was not unusual for a harness to be loose and expose its wiring. I questioned that if the wiring harness was loose and the map light; whose wiring was part of the newly installed harness; was inoperative; if the installation was faulty. Maintenance replied that the system are unrelated; but did not deny that they run in the same wiring harness. They proceeded to check the canon plug attached in the airplane. Since they found no problems with the canon plug; they wanted to conclude the inspection. I said that the inspection should reveal where the wiring fault was located; just in case we had exposed and possibly arcing wires due to faulty installation. Amazingly; I was told that this was unnecessary; as if there was a fault or arcing; it would pop the circuit breaker. The mechanics were unwilling to fully inspect the wiring installation to determine the cause of the problem. Instead; a discussion ensued with the captain over the necessity of continuation of the inspection; and it was conveyed whether there were open wires or not was not of concern. After attempting to examine a wiring diagram or any form of help; one of the mechanics let the captain know he had no right to question the work of a certified a&P mechanic and if he wanted to take the aircraft OTS; that was ok. Operations then called the captain and asked for a decision on taking the airplane. The mechanics provided incomplete troubleshooting and no further problem solving on the issue. The captain took a flashlight up to the cockpit window and examined the wiring. Within 30 seconds he found a disconnected ground wire to the map light which had probably been pulled apart due to the installation of the wiring harness previously discussed. The aircraft was then put back together and continued on; with an exposed ground wire. I am concerned with the lack of troubleshooting skills with the maintenance personnel at ZZZ. I am also concerned with the professionalism there; as the mechanic then proceeded to take my name and tell customer service that the captain was 'a bad captain.' I saw no one actually try to understand the problem in its entirety; or solve it; which required less than a minute of the captain's time. I have serious concerns about the safety and ability of ZZZ maintenance to properly service or troubleshoot my aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 CAPT EXPRESSES CONCERN AND DISAPPOINTMENT WITH THE LACK OF SKILL; KNOWLEDGE AND DESIRE OF MAINT AT ZZZ TO FIX ACFT.

Narrative: THIS RPT IS BEING WRITTEN TO ADDRESS THE MAINT PRACTICES AT ZZZ AND THE OP OF THE ACFT WITH EXPOSED WIRING. WE BROUGHT ACFT X IN FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ THAT MORNING. IN FACT; WE TOOK THIS ACFT FROM ZZZ2 THE EVENING BEFORE. PRIOR MAINT HAD BEEN PERFORMED ON THE WIRING HARNESS WHICH GOES TO THE WINDOW HEAT AND MAP LIGHT BOTH. THE MAP LIGHT DID NOT WORK AND THE WIRING HARNESS WAS LOOSE AND OUT OF ITS COVERING; THOUGH THE OP OF THE WINDOW HEAT WAS NOT IN QUESTION. WE WROTE UP THE MAP LIGHT AND ASKED FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE INSTALLATION OF THE HARNESS; AS ITS INTEGRITY WAS IN DOUBT. MAINT ORIGINALLY ADDRESSED THE WRITE-UP WITH THE FO; AND FELT THAT THE WIRING REQUIRED NO FURTHER INSPECTION. ADDITIONALLY; THEY DEFERRED THE MAP LIGHT; AND SENT A NEW MRD (MAINT RELEASE DOCUMENT). THE CAPT RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND ASKED THE FO IF AN INTEGRITY INSPECTION OF THE INSTALLATION HAD BEEN PERFORMED. WHEN HE WAS TOLD THAT MAINT THOUGHT IT WAS UNNECESSARY; HE CONTACTED MAINT FOR CLARIFICATION. MAINT RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND INSISTED THAT ALL PAPERWORK HAD BEEN PROPERLY COMPLETED. THEY ADDED THAT IT WAS NOT UNUSUAL FOR A HARNESS TO BE LOOSE AND EXPOSE ITS WIRING. I QUESTIONED THAT IF THE WIRING HARNESS WAS LOOSE AND THE MAP LIGHT; WHOSE WIRING WAS PART OF THE NEWLY INSTALLED HARNESS; WAS INOP; IF THE INSTALLATION WAS FAULTY. MAINT REPLIED THAT THE SYS ARE UNRELATED; BUT DID NOT DENY THAT THEY RUN IN THE SAME WIRING HARNESS. THEY PROCEEDED TO CHK THE CANON PLUG ATTACHED IN THE AIRPLANE. SINCE THEY FOUND NO PROBS WITH THE CANON PLUG; THEY WANTED TO CONCLUDE THE INSPECTION. I SAID THAT THE INSPECTION SHOULD REVEAL WHERE THE WIRING FAULT WAS LOCATED; JUST IN CASE WE HAD EXPOSED AND POSSIBLY ARCING WIRES DUE TO FAULTY INSTALLATION. AMAZINGLY; I WAS TOLD THAT THIS WAS UNNECESSARY; AS IF THERE WAS A FAULT OR ARCING; IT WOULD POP THE CIRCUIT BREAKER. THE MECHS WERE UNWILLING TO FULLY INSPECT THE WIRING INSTALLATION TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE PROB. INSTEAD; A DISCUSSION ENSUED WITH THE CAPT OVER THE NECESSITY OF CONTINUATION OF THE INSPECTION; AND IT WAS CONVEYED WHETHER THERE WERE OPEN WIRES OR NOT WAS NOT OF CONCERN. AFTER ATTEMPTING TO EXAMINE A WIRING DIAGRAM OR ANY FORM OF HELP; ONE OF THE MECHS LET THE CAPT KNOW HE HAD NO RIGHT TO QUESTION THE WORK OF A CERTIFIED A&P MECH AND IF HE WANTED TO TAKE THE ACFT OTS; THAT WAS OK. OPS THEN CALLED THE CAPT AND ASKED FOR A DECISION ON TAKING THE AIRPLANE. THE MECHS PROVIDED INCOMPLETE TROUBLESHOOTING AND NO FURTHER PROB SOLVING ON THE ISSUE. THE CAPT TOOK A FLASHLIGHT UP TO THE COCKPIT WINDOW AND EXAMINED THE WIRING. WITHIN 30 SECONDS HE FOUND A DISCONNECTED GND WIRE TO THE MAP LIGHT WHICH HAD PROBABLY BEEN PULLED APART DUE TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE WIRING HARNESS PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED. THE ACFT WAS THEN PUT BACK TOGETHER AND CONTINUED ON; WITH AN EXPOSED GND WIRE. I AM CONCERNED WITH THE LACK OF TROUBLESHOOTING SKILLS WITH THE MAINT PERSONNEL AT ZZZ. I AM ALSO CONCERNED WITH THE PROFESSIONALISM THERE; AS THE MECH THEN PROCEEDED TO TAKE MY NAME AND TELL CUSTOMER SVC THAT THE CAPT WAS 'A BAD CAPT.' I SAW NO ONE ACTUALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE PROB IN ITS ENTIRETY; OR SOLVE IT; WHICH REQUIRED LESS THAN A MINUTE OF THE CAPT'S TIME. I HAVE SERIOUS CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY AND ABILITY OF ZZZ MAINT TO PROPERLY SVC OR TROUBLESHOOT MY ACFT.

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.