Date: 201201
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Light: Night
Aircraft: A319
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Cabin Address System
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Other / Unknown
Reporter qualification: Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Human factors: Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Troubleshooting; Workload; Communication Breakdown; Confusion
Second reporter function: Other / Unknown
Anomaly: Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Taxi
Result: Flight Crew Returned To Gate; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Staffing; Procedure; MEL; Logbook Entry; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Company Policy; Chart Or Publication; Aircraft
Primary problem: MEL

Narrative: My [Maintenance] Controller answered call on an aircraft that had a fault with the handset in the forward attendant position; aft [handset] was already on MEL. On-call Maintenance got aft [handset] to work; cleared MEL. Applied MEL 23-43-02a as Flight Deck to Cabin and Cabin to Flight Deck was not working. Crew called back [noting] the Forward Flight Attendant could not call the aft position [handset]; but Public Announcement (P/A) function was normal; placed on MEL 23-43-02b. After looking at the MEL; we are not sure if both MELs can be applied or not. We looked at this after flight had departed. Looking back; we should have grounded the aircraft. Maintenance Operations has been short staffed and we have gotten nights where two people on the desk is not enough; sometimes radios/phones go off [ring] the whole shift. We were very busy when this was happening. Maintenance Control is short people. There were two trained Maintenance Controllers and one Controller trainee. I; [as Manager]; was busy with other calls and could not check what the Maintenance Operations Coordinator was doing with the MEL on this aircraft. I have full confidence in the other controllers. The MEL should state whether you can place two different MELs on for a similar problem.


Second narrative: Received a call from Captain indicating his Forward Flight Attendant to Cockpit [handset] would only work in one direction. This was discovered after the plane pushed off the gate. The plane pulled straight back into the gate and Maintenance was called. Talked with the flight crew and On-call Maintenance was dispatched. On-call Maintenance advised that; the handset that was moved to the aft portion of the aircraft was operating normally. Performed Operational Check per Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM). The Captain and Maintenance personnel advised the aft handset was operating normally. Mel 23-43-02a applied to forward handset. Then Maintenance was called back out to the aircraft and the Captain and First Officer said that one of the cabin handsets was unable to communicate with cabin-to-cabin. MEL 23-43-02b was applied; after talking with the On-call Mechanic and pilot on the current operation of the system. I had also talked with my Manager on duty about placing the two MELs on the aircraft at the same time and we both agreed upon it. We are very busy and seems like not enough people to handle the workload that is placed on the Maintenance Controllers. Suggest we could hire more folks in Maintenance Control and the noise level in Maintenance Operations can often get out of hand. [Add] more descriptive remarks and exceptions in MEL Manual in this section.


Synopsis: A Maintenance Controller and his shift Manager report about the confusion surrounding two MEL deferrals they had applied to the Forward and Aft Flight Attendant position handsets on an A319 aircraft.