A319 captain disputes maintenance controller's interpretation of a cabin att's pocket penlight being...

Attributes
ACN	808706
Time
Date	200810
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	A319
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 : 139 flight time total : 13080 flight time type : 2050
ASRS Report	808706
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Flight attendant found emergency flashlight inoperative during safety checks. Maintenance control deferred. Specification notes say; 'may be inoperative or missing provided: a) crew member assigned to associated seat has a flashlight with equivalent characteristics readily available.' flight attendants all had required small penlight; however; these did not have 'equivalent characteristics.' I called maintenance control to discuss this. Maintenance control's reply was; 'if it has a light that turns on and off; it's equivalent.' I explained to maintenance control that a small penlight and an aircraft emergency flashlight were not equivalent. Maintenance control response was; 'it's daylight it doesn't matter.' while maintenance control was correct about it being daylight now; our arrival time would be in the dark. Also; MEL does not address daylight versus darkness. This is a clear case of attempted pilot pushing. The maintenance controller then proceeded to put incorrect information in the official maintenance release. He stated; 'update on account of flight attendants not having their required equipment of flashlights.' the flight attendants did indeed; as I stated to maintenance control have their required equipment. Unfortunately; this equipment was not of 'equivalent characteristics.' contract maintenance brought us a flashlight with 'equivalent characteristics.' in my opinion; maintenance control's actions in this situation are balancing precariously on a very slippery slope.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 CAPTAIN DISPUTES MAINT CTLR'S INTERPRETATION OF A CABIN ATT'S POCKET PENLIGHT BEING THE DISPATCH 'EQUIVALENT' TO AN INOPERATIVE EMERGENCY EXIT FLASHLIGHT.

Narrative: FLT ATTENDANT FOUND EMER FLASHLIGHT INOP DURING SAFETY CHKS. MAINT CTL DEFERRED. SPEC NOTES SAY; 'MAY BE INOP OR MISSING PROVIDED: A) CREW MEMBER ASSIGNED TO ASSOCIATED SEAT HAS A FLASHLIGHT WITH EQUIVALENT CHARACTERISTICS READILY AVAILABLE.' FLT ATTENDANTS ALL HAD REQUIRED SMALL PENLIGHT; HOWEVER; THESE DID NOT HAVE 'EQUIVALENT CHARACTERISTICS.' I CALLED MAINT CTL TO DISCUSS THIS. MAINT CTL'S REPLY WAS; 'IF IT HAS A LIGHT THAT TURNS ON AND OFF; IT'S EQUIVALENT.' I EXPLAINED TO MAINT CTL THAT A SMALL PENLIGHT AND AN ACFT EMER FLASHLIGHT WERE NOT EQUIVALENT. MAINT CTL RESPONSE WAS; 'IT'S DAYLIGHT IT DOESN'T MATTER.' WHILE MAINT CTL WAS CORRECT ABOUT IT BEING DAYLIGHT NOW; OUR ARR TIME WOULD BE IN THE DARK. ALSO; MEL DOES NOT ADDRESS DAYLIGHT VERSUS DARKNESS. THIS IS A CLR CASE OF ATTEMPTED PLT PUSHING. THE MAINT CTLR THEN PROCEEDED TO PUT INCORRECT INFO IN THE OFFICIAL MAINT RELEASE. HE STATED; 'UPDATE ON ACCOUNT OF FLT ATTENDANTS NOT HAVING THEIR REQUIRED EQUIP OF FLASHLIGHTS.' THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID INDEED; AS I STATED TO MAINT CTL HAVE THEIR REQUIRED EQUIP. UNFORTUNATELY; THIS EQUIP WAS NOT OF 'EQUIVALENT CHARACTERISTICS.' CONTRACT MAINT BROUGHT US A FLASHLIGHT WITH 'EQUIVALENT CHARACTERISTICS.' IN MY OPINION; MAINT CTL'S ACTIONS IN THIS SITUATION ARE BALANCING PRECARIOUSLY ON A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE.

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.

A319 captain disputes maintenance controller's interpretation of a cabin att's pocket penlight being the dispatch 'equivalent' to an inoperative emergency exit flashlight.