Narrative:

Showed up to aircraft for first flight of day and noticed that the green hydraulic system had low quantity. The gauge showed about 1/2 way up to the normal range. I looked in the history and discovered that an FAA inspector had noticed hydraulic fluid pooled in the main wheel well on jul/xx/08 but no leak was found and the aircraft was returned to service. Since then; the green system has showed a history of having low quantity including the flight prior to us receiving the aircraft. I am not a mechanic; but wouldn't this be a good indication of a hydraulic leak? The contract mechanic refilled the system and signed off the item after claiming to have run the hydraulic pumps for 1 hour (he ran them for about 20 mins) and having found no leaks. After inspecting the wheel area myself; I discovered that the right gear door was covered in fluid (that someone had tried to wipe clean with a rag) and there was a small puddle on the ground of hydraulic fluid. There are men; women; and children who count on air carrier to maintain the airplanes to an acceptable level of safety. Let's stop pencil whipping these problems and actually fix them before someone gets hurt. After refusing the aircraft for the second time; the contract mechanic admitted to maintenance that there was fluid in the well and on the door. Maintenance asked us to ferry the aircraft to where a gear retract test could be performed. I respectfully declined the offer to fly the broken aircraft for safety reasons. Let's look back in time and see how this could have been avoided. 1) on jul/xx/08; an FAA inspector discovered fluid puddled in the wheel well. No leak was found. This should have been a warning sign as fluid should never be 'puddled' in the wheel well. 2) on jul/xy/08; the green system was found to be low in quantity during a preflight. This airplane should have never left the gate. The green system is obviously a major worker in the wheel well and the history of puddled fluid coupled with a low quantity problem should have been a red flag to someone. 3) there was an air carrier mechanic during the night working on other aircraft. I have been told that air carrier mechanics are no longer authority/authorized to 'look at' an aircraft without a write-up or specific check in mind. If this mechanic had been afforded the opportunity to preflight this aircraft; the problem may have been found sooner and possibly addressed instead of glossed over by a contract mechanic in an effort to get the aircraft back in service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPTAIN IS CHAGRINED BY THE CONTINUED FAILURE OF AIRLINE MAINTENANCE TO DEAL FORTHRIGHTLY WITH AN APPARENT HYDRAULIC LEAK.

Narrative: SHOWED UP TO ACFT FOR FIRST FLT OF DAY AND NOTICED THAT THE GREEN HYD SYS HAD LOW QUANTITY. THE GAUGE SHOWED ABOUT 1/2 WAY UP TO THE NORMAL RANGE. I LOOKED IN THE HISTORY AND DISCOVERED THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR HAD NOTICED HYD FLUID POOLED IN THE MAIN WHEEL WELL ON JUL/XX/08 BUT NO LEAK WAS FOUND AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC. SINCE THEN; THE GREEN SYS HAS SHOWED A HISTORY OF HAVING LOW QUANTITY INCLUDING THE FLT PRIOR TO US RECEIVING THE ACFT. I AM NOT A MECH; BUT WOULDN'T THIS BE A GOOD INDICATION OF A HYD LEAK? THE CONTRACT MECH REFILLED THE SYS AND SIGNED OFF THE ITEM AFTER CLAIMING TO HAVE RUN THE HYD PUMPS FOR 1 HR (HE RAN THEM FOR ABOUT 20 MINS) AND HAVING FOUND NO LEAKS. AFTER INSPECTING THE WHEEL AREA MYSELF; I DISCOVERED THAT THE R GEAR DOOR WAS COVERED IN FLUID (THAT SOMEONE HAD TRIED TO WIPE CLEAN WITH A RAG) AND THERE WAS A SMALL PUDDLE ON THE GND OF HYD FLUID. THERE ARE MEN; WOMEN; AND CHILDREN WHO COUNT ON ACR TO MAINTAIN THE AIRPLANES TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF SAFETY. LET'S STOP PENCIL WHIPPING THESE PROBS AND ACTUALLY FIX THEM BEFORE SOMEONE GETS HURT. AFTER REFUSING THE ACFT FOR THE SECOND TIME; THE CONTRACT MECH ADMITTED TO MAINT THAT THERE WAS FLUID IN THE WELL AND ON THE DOOR. MAINT ASKED US TO FERRY THE ACFT TO WHERE A GEAR RETRACT TEST COULD BE PERFORMED. I RESPECTFULLY DECLINED THE OFFER TO FLY THE BROKEN ACFT FOR SAFETY REASONS. LET'S LOOK BACK IN TIME AND SEE HOW THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. 1) ON JUL/XX/08; AN FAA INSPECTOR DISCOVERED FLUID PUDDLED IN THE WHEEL WELL. NO LEAK WAS FOUND. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN A WARNING SIGN AS FLUID SHOULD NEVER BE 'PUDDLED' IN THE WHEEL WELL. 2) ON JUL/XY/08; THE GREEN SYS WAS FOUND TO BE LOW IN QUANTITY DURING A PREFLT. THIS AIRPLANE SHOULD HAVE NEVER LEFT THE GATE. THE GREEN SYS IS OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR WORKER IN THE WHEEL WELL AND THE HISTORY OF PUDDLED FLUID COUPLED WITH A LOW QUANTITY PROB SHOULD HAVE BEEN A RED FLAG TO SOMEONE. 3) THERE WAS AN ACR MECH DURING THE NIGHT WORKING ON OTHER ACFT. I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT ACR MECHS ARE NO LONGER AUTH TO 'LOOK AT' AN ACFT WITHOUT A WRITE-UP OR SPECIFIC CHK IN MIND. IF THIS MECH HAD BEEN AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREFLT THIS ACFT; THE PROB MAY HAVE BEEN FOUND SOONER AND POSSIBLY ADDRESSED INSTEAD OF GLOSSED OVER BY A CONTRACT MECH IN AN EFFORT TO GET THE ACFT BACK IN SVC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.