AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE CAPT'S FLT BAG AFT FLOOR STOP MISSING.

Narrative

I ARRIVED AT THE ACFT ABOUT 30 MINS BEFORE DEP. I HAPPENED TO NOTICE THAT THE FLT BAG FLOOR BRACKET THAT IS JUST BEHIND MY FLT BAG WAS MISSING. THIS NARROW BRACKET IS APPROX 3/4 INCH HIGH AND 3 INCHES IN WIDTH. I MADE A LOGBOOK ENTRY AND CALLED MAINT. LATER; MAINT CAME; CHKED OUT THE SIT; AND TOLD ME THAT THERE IS NO EVIDENCE THAT THIS ACFT HAS EVER HAD A FLOOR BRACKET INSTALLED; AND THAT HE DOESN'T EVEN THINK THE SUBFLOOR HAS THE NECESSARY RECEIVING HOLES TO INSTALL A BRACKET. I TOLD HIM THAT IT IS TRUE IT LOOKS LIKE THERE HAS NOT BEEN ONE INSTALLED; BUT EVEN IF THIS PLANE CAME FROM THE FACTORY WITHOUT THIS BRACKET BEING INSTALLED THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS NOT REQUIRED. THE MAINT TECHNICIAN THEN CALLED MAINT CTL TO DISCUSS THE SIT. THE MECH LATER CAME BACK WITH A SIGNED OFF LOGBOOK STATING THAT THIS FLT BAG FLOOR BRACKET WAS NOT INSTALLED ON THIS ACFT PER MAINT CTL; AND TOLD ME THAT SOME OF OUR A320 AIRBUS ACFT HAVE THEM INSTALLED AND SOME DO NOT. IT WAS NOT A REQUIRED PART. I WAS NOT SURE ABOUT THAT. SO I DECIDED TO DELAY THE FLT. I THEN CALLED MAINT CTL AND PERSONALLY SPOKE WITH THE CTLR WHO AUTHORIZED THE LOGBOOK SIGNOFF. I TOLD HIM OF MY CONCERNS ABOUT THIS BEING A REQUIRED PART AND HE TOLD ME THAT WE HAVE A HODGE PODGE OF A320 ACFT AND THIS A320 DOES NOT HAVE THE BRACKET INSTALLED. HE SAID NOWHERE IN THE MAINT MANUAL IS THIS PART EVEN LISTED AS A REQUIRED PART; AND YOU ARE NOT EVEN REQUIRED TO CHK FOR IT ON YOUR PREFLT CHKS. I THEN ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYONE ELSE THAT HE COULD DOUBLECHK WITH -- A SUPVR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE; ETC. HE SAID HE WOULD MAKE SOME CALLS. I THEN CALLED QUALITY ASSURANCE MYSELF AND WAS NOT ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF ANYONE -- JUST A RECORDED MESSAGE. I THEN CALLED THE A320 FLEET MGR'S OFFICE AND EXPLAINED THE SIT TO THE FLEET MGR AND HE SAID THEY WOULD GO LOOK AT AN A320 IN THE HANGAR AND GET BACK TO ME. I CALLED BACK TO MAINT BACK TO MAINT CTL AND ANOTHER CTLR TOLD ME THEY CALLED QUALITY ASSURANCE BUT COULD NOT GET A HOLD OF ANYONE. I SAID I WOULD CHK BACK LATER. LATER AFTER THE FLEET MGR'S OFFICE CHKED THE PLANE IN THE HANGAR; I SPOKE WITH THE A320 FLEET MGR AND HE SAID BASED ON WHAT WE HAD HE DID NOT THINK WE SHOULD DIG OUR HEELS IN THE SAND SO TO SPEAK ANY LONGER. HE WAS OK WITH US FLYING THE ACFT; AND ASSURED US WE WERE 100% LEGAL TO TAKE THE ACFT. AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE FLEET MGR AND GETTING HIS ASSURANCES AND THIS COMBINED WITH MAINT CTL ASSURANCES; I THEN ALSO AGREED THAT I THOUGHT THE ACFT COULD BE FLOWN SAFELY AND EQUALLY IMPORTANT LEGALLY. I THEN CALLED MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM AFTER TALKING WITH THE FLEET MGR HE AGREED WE WERE LEGAL AND HE WAS OK WITH US TAKING THE FLT SO WE WERE GOING TO ACCEPT THE ACFT. HE SAID GREAT AND I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT. I DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH THE FO AND ASKED HIS OPINION. HE ALSO SAID HE WAS SATISFIED; AND FELT OK TO ACCEPT THE ACFT. WE FLEW A ROUND TRIP TO LOS ANGELES AND UPON LNDG WE WERE MET WITH A MAINT SUPVR. THE MAINT SUPVR SAID WE HAVE TO INSTALL THAT BRACKET ON THIS ACFT. LATER I LEARNED THAT THE FLEET MGR DID MORE RESEARCH THROUGH AIRBUS AND LEARNED THAT YES IT IS A REQUIRED PART AND THAT THE PART WOULD HAVE TO BE MANUFACTURED.