A320
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 218; Flight Crew Total 6139; Flight Crew Type 6139
Troubleshooting; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL
General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Logbook Entry; Aircraft; Environment - Non Weather Related
A rushed maintenance deferral resulted in the Maintenance Release (MR) being issued without the actual deferral items being accomplished; as defined in the MEL.Arriving at the aircraft; the Captain found the APU had a fault light on the Overhead Panel with the switches indicating someone had tried to start the APU. (The aircraft had been at the gate all evening.) Maintenance was contacted and a write-up was completed. After an unsuccessful reset resulted in the Auto-Shut down of the APU; during another attempted start; Maintenance issued deferral of the APU.Deferral was sent without anyone (Maintenance) coming to the aircraft to accomplish the required MEL items for APU INOPERATIVE. Specifically; 'Cockpit Breakers(s) Pulled and Safetied; (L41 and L42)'. The MR was issued stating both had been accomplished; when neither had been. NO ONE showed up and the MR was issued immediately stating everything was accomplished.Deferral was initially refused by the Captain; because no one looked at the APU to determine why the APU would not start. Further; the pilot's paperwork did not reveal any APU maintenance history; while there was extensive Auto-Shut down history. The rushed maintenance deferral and the release of the flight without the MEL items being accomplished; were not detected by the crew until in flight.
Captain reports about a rushed APU deferral that resulted in the maintenance release of an A320 aircraft without the actual MEL maintenance deferral items being accomplished. MEL had required cockpit Circuit Breakers L41 and L42 to be 'Pulled and Safetied.' APU had an extensive auto-shutdown history.