Date: 201905
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Aircraft: A321
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Technician
Reporter qualification: Maintenance Powerplant; Maintenance Airframe
Human factors: Distraction; Time Pressure
Second reporter function: Technician
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Maintenance
When detected: Aircraft In Service At Gate
Result: General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure; Aircraft
Primary problem: Company Policy

Narrative: Aircraft X required mid R/H (right hand) door accumulator service due to low pressure. Plane was fully boarded at the gate; due to safety; with passengers moving about presented a safety hazard while performing a maintenance task involving nitrogen service emergency door slide assembly. Myself and another AMT (Aircraft Maintenance Technician) was performing the maintenance; with appropriate references including monitor and challenge ref [procedure manual]. I asked Line Maintenance supervisor 3 times if they would deplane Aircraft X of passengers until maintenance task was completed; but my request was refused. The flight crew made announcement for the area we were working in to stay clear but some passengers kept walking back & forth down the aisle near the area we were working in and bumped into the other tech who was deactivating a slide bottle. I called our local mx ctrl (Maintenance Control) desk to ask them again to please deboard Aircraft X of passengers but there wasn't any help; Management wouldn't respond. I can only assume that Maintenance Management did not want to further delay flight by making passenger get off the plane. Servicing an emergency door with pressurized nitrogen source and deactivating doors and bottles inside the cabin while passengers are on board presents a safety hazard for them as well as the AMT'S performing the maintenance and passengers should not be on board while this procedure is done.


Second narrative: Aircraft X required inspection for a MID R/H pressure msg on CIDS (Cabin Intercommunication Data System) panel for CIDS red caution light illuminated. A/C (Aircraft) was fully boarded at Gate X. A meeting with the Supervisor on shift for monitor and challenge [procedure] took place in the jetway prior to inspection for discrepancy. At this time due to special precautions in AMM (Aircraft Maintenance Manual) and being that we were working on an emergency exit door 3 requests were made to deboard the A/C for safety. Requests weren't granted so we proceeded to try and find the issue with the door. As we predicted; moving passengers were posing a risk of deactivating emergency door and verifying service; even after the flight crews made announcements to stay clear. During a deactivation procedure a passenger bumped into me. After verification of door assist bottle requiring service and or replacement we tried contacting MX CTL (Maintenance Control) desk to request deboarding. Once again ignored. Bottle service with passengers on board no help. Assist bottle required replacement. Noting also that attempt to service was with an active portable nitrogen source on the A/C. Suggesting due to procedures and safety that passengers not be present during this maintenance activity. Sometimes A/C gets de boarded but this obviously wasn't one of those times.


Synopsis: Maintenance Crew required to service emergency exit slide nitrogen bottle while passengers were on aircraft.