Date: 201411
Local time of day: 0601-1200
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: VMC
Aircraft: A320
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Spoiler System
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer; Pilot Not Flying
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Second reporter function: Dispatcher
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: In-flight
Result: Flight Crew Overcame Equipment Problem; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Human Factors; Manuals
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: When we arrived at the aircraft; 3 mechanics were already on the aircraft in the cockpit and one up top who they were communicating with a walkie-talkie. They informed us that the incoming crew had a spoiler inoperative ECAM and that they were in the process of deactivating the written up spoiler. After a few minutes; 2 of the 3 mechanics left the cockpit and just 1 mechanic stayed behind in the Captains seat. I asked the mechanic if it was ok if I sat in the co-pilot seat so I can load the box and prep for the flight. As I sat there and loaded the box; I noticed that the mechanics were having a difficult time trying to figure out how to get the spoilers out so they can check and verify that the spoilers they deactivated were actually deactivated. They had the electric hydraulic pump switch on along with the blue override system on. With both systems on; they lowered the flaps so the flaps were down in the full position. In this configuration; they were unable to get the spoilers to come out so they can verify that the spoilers that were written up were in fact deactivated. As I sat there and watched them; I did not ask which spoilers they were deactivating and assumed they were deactivating the ones written up. At this point; another 2 mechanics showed up in the cockpit and the 3 of them still could not figure out how to get the spoilers out to verify. After several more minutes; they said they had to make a call to a technical expert. After they spoke to their technical expert; they were able to get the spoilers out to verify the spoilers were out and that the deactivated ones indeed showed an amber X and were in the locked position. I saw the FLT CNTL page on the lower screen and saw the 2 amber Xs over a spoiler on each side. They said we were good to go and an maintenance release would be on the way. They left the cockpit; the Captain got in his seat and we proceeded with our pre-flight duties. After several more minutes; the new maintenance release came across the printer. The maintenance release said that the previous crew had reported that the #4 spoiler had an ECAM fault. It also showed that maintenance deactivated the #4 spoiler along with the MEL and associated crew actions. Up until this point; I assumed and trusted that maintenance had deactivated the correct spoiler since there were amber Xs over a spoiler on each side. After engine start; the MEL stated for the crew to confirm that the #4 spoilers were deactivated; which we thought we did. We pulled up the FLT CNTL page and we saw the 2 amber Xs over the 2 spoilers that maintenance had deactivated. We took off with no problems. After an hour into the flight; we got an ECAM that said we had a flight control spoiler fault. We pulled up the flight control page and noticed another 2 amber X's over a spoiler on each side. After a few minutes of trying to figure out what was going on and kind of odd that another 2 spoilers would fault; the Captain had dispatch put us through with [maintenance control]. [Maintenance control] informed us that they spoke to maintenance and that maintenance had locked out the wrong spoilers. We pulled out the A320 flight manual to look at the spoiler schematic and at this point we realized that maintenance deactivated the #2 spoilers on each side and not the #4 spoilers. Unfortunately the spoilers are not labeled; and when we looked at the spoilers to verify which ones were deactivated as per the MEL after engine start; we thought that the ones we were looking at were indeed the #4 when they were actually the #2. We checked landing performance as per the charts and landed without incident.


Second narrative: While accepting turnover from dayshift dispatcher; I was briefed on the conclusion of a phone patch. It was determined a mechanic deactivated the wrong spoiler pair. Pair two and four were the actual inop spoilers. Dayshift Dispatcher advised both Captain and Dispatcher concurred; via Commercial Radio; applicable required landing distances using 320 QRH pages 90.17 - 90.18 yielding required distance result with spoilers inop; well below [arrival airport] active landing runway distance. Flight continued and landed without incident and with NO emergency declared.


Synopsis: A320 flight crew reports being dispatched with the number four spoiler set deactivated by Maintenance to comply with an MEL procedure. With two symmetrical X's appearing over two spoilers on the flight control page the crew assumes the procedure has been done correctly. In cruise another ECAM spoiler fault is annunciated and two additional X's are noted on the flight control page. It is determined that Maintenance deactivated the wrong spoiler pair. Spoilers are not numbered on the flight control page.