Training / Qualification; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Human Factors
Conducted a routine safe flight from ZZZZ to ZZZ. I was contacted by Gatekeeper Representative Office regarding this flight. We completed our duties/checklist in accordance with company policies and procedures outlined in the FOM and had no indication of a faulty or inoperative Over-Wing slide. The aircraft was found to have had multiple faulty/inoperative Over-Wing Emergency slides; which was discovered by Company Maintenance personnel. Again; we had no cockpit indication of these faults. The flight was completed safely with no issues.
Reporter stated the A320 aircraft had been in the hangar the night before and Maintenance had left the Over-Wing Emergency Exit Door release pin in the 'Safe' mode. No deferred items were involved with the Over-Wing Exits. The Captain was returning from reserve status. Airbus had not changed any of the door indications on the newer A320 they had flown. He and the other two crew members were just not alert to the missing word SLIDE on the ECAM page.
On the previous flight; ZZZ-ZZZZ; an issue with no indication on the ECAM of the Over-Wing Window Exits being armed was discussed and verified by the three pilots in the flight deck and checked and verified by the flight attendants; prior to pushback.  All physical checks looked normal and we all mistakenly misinterpreted the indications of the Exits being armed. The rationale being that this was a new airplane and this must be the correct indication. After a discussion we all felt that all was normal so we proceeded to ZZZZ; then returned to ZZZ the same afternoon; never even considering that there was; in fact; a problem with the Over-Wing Exits.Prior to push back in ZZZZ; all checks and checklists were performed and the Door Page on the ECAM was again checked to verify all doors were 'Closed and Armed.'  Since we were taught that the over-wing exits were 'always armed;' the three pilots in the flight deck mistakenly thought a no indication must be the new 'normal' for this new airplane. We all falsely believed that all was normal and I; as Captain; never even considered calling Maintenance for assistance. I am alarmed to find out that I indeed; unintentionally; flew an airplane with an issue with the Over-Wing Exits. We are taught that 'the over-wing exits are always armed;' but all three pilots on the flight deck misinterpreted the indication on the ECAM; which is; no indication. The no indication; or blank space where there should have been [the word] 'SLIDE'; did not sufficiently arouse our attention. Complacency.
Two pilots were informed by a Gatekeeper Representative that the A320 aircraft they had flown two trips over water on; had multiple inoperative Over-Wing Emergency slides and no slide fault indications on their DOOR ECAM page.