Narrative:

At crew swap; inbound crew told us #2 brake temperature was significantly higher (at least 200 degrees) than the rest of the temperatures. Per flight manual; I sent in the maintenance requirement and called and notified maintenance on radio of maintenance requirement. Approximately 30 mins later; I received a maintenance requirement stating 'action: nov/08 ok; brake same temperature as others; reference PTT0202001 for follow-up.' I wanted to know how the temperature was measured; so I asked maintenance to send the mechanic to the cockpit to discuss my concerns. The mechanic said he 'held his hand by the brake' to determine the temperature. I asked if there was a more quantitative method of measuring. He said yes; but they don't do that. I was uncomfortable with this assessment; so I called dispatch to discuss it with him. Dispatch suggested a phone patch to maintenance control. After discussing the problem; maintenance advised me that 'holding your hand by it' was not per the maintenance manual. He went on to say there is a maintenance tip that says the mechanic should spin the wheel to make sure the brake was not dragging. Dispatch; maintenance control and I agreed that I would write it up again; and maintenance control would advise maintenance of the maintenance manual procedure. About 20 mins later; I received notice that ZZZ maintenance decided the problem was in the ECAM wheel page brake temperature indicator. They deferred the ECAM wheel page brake temperature indicator. We took the plane from ZZZ to ZZZ1. After parking at the gate in ZZZ1; the first officer and I physically checked the brake temperatures by putting our hands near and on the brakes. #1 was cold to the touch; #2 was extremely hot (in fact; I singed my fingertips when I tried to touch it); #3 was warm to the touch; and #4 was warm to the touch. I contacted dispatch and maintenance. Maintenance decided to send contract maintenance out to check it out. We then swapped airplanes for the return trip to ZZZ; since this one was on a mechanical. As I was leaving the broken aircraft; the contract mechanic said they would be changing the #2 brake out that night.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A320 PILOT ATTEMPTED TO HAVE MAINTENANCE INVESTIGATE A SINGLE HOT BRAKE. THE BRAKE TEMPERATURE WAS MEL'ED BUT AFTER THE NEXT LANDING THE BRAKE IN QUESTION WAS SO HOT THE AIRCRAFT WAS GROUNDED FOR CONTRACT MAINTENANCE TO REPAIR.

Narrative: AT CREW SWAP; INBOUND CREW TOLD US #2 BRAKE TEMP WAS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER (AT LEAST 200 DEGS) THAN THE REST OF THE TEMPS. PER FLT MANUAL; I SENT IN THE MAINT REQUIREMENT AND CALLED AND NOTIFIED MAINT ON RADIO OF MAINT REQUIREMENT. APPROX 30 MINS LATER; I RECEIVED A MAINT REQUIREMENT STATING 'ACTION: NOV/08 OK; BRAKE SAME TEMP AS OTHERS; REF PTT0202001 FOR FOLLOW-UP.' I WANTED TO KNOW HOW THE TEMP WAS MEASURED; SO I ASKED MAINT TO SEND THE MECH TO THE COCKPIT TO DISCUSS MY CONCERNS. THE MECH SAID HE 'HELD HIS HAND BY THE BRAKE' TO DETERMINE THE TEMP. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A MORE QUANTITATIVE METHOD OF MEASURING. HE SAID YES; BUT THEY DON'T DO THAT. I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS ASSESSMENT; SO I CALLED DISPATCH TO DISCUSS IT WITH HIM. DISPATCH SUGGESTED A PHONE PATCH TO MAINT CONTROL. AFTER DISCUSSING THE PROB; MAINT ADVISED ME THAT 'HOLDING YOUR HAND BY IT' WAS NOT PER THE MAINT MANUAL. HE WENT ON TO SAY THERE IS A MAINT TIP THAT SAYS THE MECH SHOULD SPIN THE WHEEL TO MAKE SURE THE BRAKE WAS NOT DRAGGING. DISPATCH; MAINT CONTROL AND I AGREED THAT I WOULD WRITE IT UP AGAIN; AND MAINT CONTROL WOULD ADVISE MAINT OF THE MAINT MANUAL PROC. ABOUT 20 MINS LATER; I RECEIVED NOTICE THAT ZZZ MAINT DECIDED THE PROB WAS IN THE ECAM WHEEL PAGE BRAKE TEMP INDICATOR. THEY DEFERRED THE ECAM WHEEL PAGE BRAKE TEMP INDICATOR. WE TOOK THE PLANE FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ1. AFTER PARKING AT THE GATE IN ZZZ1; THE FO AND I PHYSICALLY CHKED THE BRAKE TEMPS BY PUTTING OUR HANDS NEAR AND ON THE BRAKES. #1 WAS COLD TO THE TOUCH; #2 WAS EXTREMELY HOT (IN FACT; I SINGED MY FINGERTIPS WHEN I TRIED TO TOUCH IT); #3 WAS WARM TO THE TOUCH; AND #4 WAS WARM TO THE TOUCH. I CONTACTED DISPATCH AND MAINT. MAINT DECIDED TO SEND CONTRACT MAINT OUT TO CHK IT OUT. WE THEN SWAPPED AIRPLANES FOR THE RETURN TRIP TO ZZZ; SINCE THIS ONE WAS ON A MECHANICAL. AS I WAS LEAVING THE BROKEN ACFT; THE CONTRACT MECH SAID THEY WOULD BE CHANGING THE #2 BRAKE OUT THAT NIGHT.

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.