A320
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Inspector 20; Maintenance Technician 10
Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Procedure
During C-Check Visit it was found that the Cargo Compartment Firex Bottle had a sense line not connected; as indicated on Task Card; Page five; Item J. I verified Safety and Security of components.
Reporter stated the Firex Bottle is located in the Forward Cargo Compartment sidewall just aft of the cargo door. The braided; flexible sense line is on the backside of the Firex Bottle. The Firex Bottle could still discharge even though the sense line was not reconnected. The A320 had flown for almost two years before returning for another C-Check Maintenance Visit. That's when a Mechanic noticed after removing the cargo compartment sidewall; the line was disconnected. His company sent out an alert to check 80-aircraft for the same condition; fortunately no similar discrepancies were found. As an Inspector; he does that particular inspection all the time and believes the line was connected at the time. The Job Card Illustrations were not a problem.
An Aircraft Inspector reported that during a C-Check; a Mechanic noticed a Firex Bottle sense line was not connected in the Forward Cargo Compartment right-hand aft sidewall. Inspector had signed-off for the Firex Bottle's Safety and Security on the A320 aircraft approximately two years earlier.