A-320 Spoiler indication mel

[200hp_stall_freak]

Hi! I had an mel while operating a flight which was very confusing and I am still unsure of the correct operating procedure.
The Mel 27-07-11a (spoiler/speedbrake indication on sd page) for spoiler number 3.
The operational procedure entailed in the MEL is this...
27-07-11A Spoilers/Speedbrakes Indication on the F/CTL SD page Ident.:
MO-27-07-00009077.0001001 / 17 SEP 10 Applicable to: ALL

DURING COCKPIT PREPARATION Note: If the Yellow Electric Pump is not available: ‐ Pressurize the Yellow Hydraulic System with: • A Ground cart, or with • The Yellow Engine 2 Pump with the Engine 2 running. ‐ Replace any action on the YELLOW ELEC PUMP pb-sw by a similar action on the Ground Cart or on the YELLOW ENG 2 PUMP pb-sw in the following procedure. If surface 1 indication is inoperative: CAUTION The aircraft must be stopped during the check. ‐ YELLOW ELEC PUMP pb-sw.......................................................... ..................................ON ‐ PTU pb-sw.......................................................... ...........................................................A UTO ‐ SPEEDBRAKES lever....................................................... ..............................................FULL ‐ Visually check that surface 1 slightly extends (approximately 6°). ‐ YELLOW ELEC PUMP pb-sw.......................................................... ..................................Off If surface 3 indication is inoperative: ‐ BLUE ELEC PUMP pb-sw.......................................................... ...................................AUTO ‐ BLUE PUMP OVRD pb-sw.......................................................... ......................................ON ‐ Move the stick from left stop to right stop. ‐ Visually check the correct movement of surface 3. ‐ BLUE PUMP OVRD pb-sw.......................................................... .......................................off

My query is that do we apply this mel by switching on the blue pump ovrd switch in the maintainace panel and visually checking it or after engine start when everything is done. What is confusing is that it says DURING COCKPIT PREPARATION at the begining of the said procedure.
Engine start is not cockpit preparation.
Can anyone help me with this and explain it to me in plain english, not the french english in which the airbus documents are compiled...:confused:

[TURIN]

You do this before engine start.

When the engines are running you don't need to select the Blue Ovrd switch because you already have Blue Hyd Pressure as the pump will run automatically once the first started engine has reached self sustaining speed.

[200hp_stall_freak]

Thank you for your message! I am aware of the fact that the blue system gets energised after engine start! What I was asking is that when would be the right time to do this check? Before engine start through the ovd button right? Somebody told me otherwise that is why I was confused about it. Thanks

[KingAir1978]

The layout of your first post isn't great, but from what I see, there is a note at the beginning of the procedure, explaining what you should do in case the yellow pump is not available.

So there are 2 options. 1) the yellow pump works normally --> you apply the procedure during the cockpit preparation (from YELLOW ELEC PUMP pb-sw ... ON) etc.

2) the yellow pump does NOT work normally --> you start from the note. In other words there are now different possibilities to pressurise the yellow system. One of them being starting ENG 2 (look at the black circle, indicating different options)


P.S. Airbus qualified, but not on this one...

[Escape Path]

Procedure says "cockpit preparation". This is to be done before engine start. Maybe someone got confused with what the poster above said, i.e., in case of Y elec pump not available, in which case you have the option of a ground cart or starting the engine if you don't have a ground cart

[TURIN]

Thank you for your message! I am aware of the fact that the blue system gets energised after engine start! What I was asking is that when would be the right time to do this check? Before engine start through the ovd button right? Somebody told me otherwise that is why I was confused about it. Thanks

Ask yourself this question.
Why am I pressing the Blue Override switch?

[Togue]

200HP_stall_freak,

I guess that if you discover the fault during cockpit prep and the yellow electric pump is not available, then you do the procedure. Call maintenance and coordinate with them and ATC to do the needful if an engine start is required.

[PENKO]

Togue, you're confuse a couple of things.

This is an MEL operational procedure, i.e. for a fault that has already been dealt with by maintenance and is carried as a deferred defect. No need to call maintenance!

The procedure is VERY simple. During cockpit preparation you visually check operation of the affected surfaces. For this you need hydraulic power from the yellow or blue electric pumps, depending on the affected surface. That is all there is to it!

Yes there is a note stating that if you are realy having a bad day and the yellow electric pump is U/S as well the procedure will have to be done with engine 2 running to power the engine driven hydraulic pump.... I have no idea why this causes any further confusion!