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An A319 ground power plug-in panel lens cap and bulb were missing which could lead to electrical arcing so maintenance was notified. The pilot's inspection authority was questioned.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 968558 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201109 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801-2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Light | Dusk |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | A319 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Electrical Wiring & Connectors |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | First Officer Pilot Not Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
Upon exterior preflight I found an inoperative item which I knew could be MEL'd which I was fine with. I informed the mechanic at the gate about it. He said fine and then asked me why I was checking that item and the 108VU panel (panel under nose where ground electric power is plugged in). Number one; I told [the mechanic] it is part of the plane I'm responsible for. The 108VU panel is known to be conducive to moisture and with missing lens cap/light bulb; open sockets are susceptible to shorting out which I have experienced. Once; three years ago; I pushed the press to test light switch and smoke came pouring out of an exposed socket. Who knows what that could have led to; perhaps a swissair 111 accident or twa 800 accident? I prevented a possible catastrophe. Poor safety culture at this air carrier; once again; mechanics under pressure to forget about safety first and put on-time performance first. Not with me! Having been at two previous airlines; one a major international carrier; it is imperative that this safety culture be addressed and the hostile environment we are pressured to work in be changed. When is it ok for a mechanic to tell a pilot not to preflight certain items?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: An A319 ground power plug-in panel lens cap and bulb were missing which could lead to electrical arcing so Maintenance was notified. The pilot's inspection authority was questioned.
Narrative: Upon exterior preflight I found an inoperative item which I KNEW could be MEL'd which I was fine with. I informed the mechanic at the gate about it. He said fine and then asked me why I was checking that item and the 108VU panel (panel under nose where ground electric power is plugged in). Number one; I told [the mechanic] it is part of the plane I'm responsible for. The 108VU panel is KNOWN to be conducive to moisture and with missing lens cap/light bulb; open sockets are susceptible to shorting out which I have experienced. Once; three years ago; I pushed the press to test light switch and SMOKE came pouring out of an EXPOSED socket. Who knows what THAT could have led to; perhaps a Swissair 111 accident or TWA 800 accident? I prevented a possible catastrophe. POOR Safety Culture at this air carrier; once again; mechanics UNDER PRESSURE to forget about safety first and put on-time performance first. NOT WITH ME! Having been at two previous airlines; one a MAJOR International carrier; it is imperative that this safety culture be ADDRESSED and the hostile environment we are pressured to work in be CHANGED. When is it OK for a mechanic to tell a pilot not to preflight certain items?
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.