AN AIRBUS A319 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH BOTH CABIN PRESSURE CONTROLLERS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY WITH THE AMBIENT VENTS PLUGGED.

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ON DEC/XA/00; I WAS ASSIGNED ACFT XYZ. AFTER THE CHK WAS COMPLETE; I STARTED ON THE WRITE-UPS. JOB CARD REQUIRES THE REPLACEMENT OF BOTH CABIN PRESSURE CONTROLLERS. AFTER THE CONTROLLERS WERE INSTALLED; I WAS DIRECTED (BY THE PAPERWORK) TO TEST AND VERIFY LINE REPLACEABLE UNIT PART NUMBERS ON THE MCDU'S. BOTH PART NUMBERS VERIFIED. #2 SYS; HOWEVER; WOULD NOT PASS BUILT-IN TEST EQUIP. I ACCOMPLISHED THE USUAL CHKS OF A FAILED TEST (IE; RESET CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND REPWRED THE SYS). AFTER A COUPLE ATTEMPTS; BOTH SYS PASSED BUILT-IN TEST EQUIP. THE PRINTOUT OF BUILT-IN TEST EQUIP RESULTS WAS STAPLED TO THE WORK CARDS. AT THIS POINT; THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR SVC; AND I WENT HOME. THE NEXT DAY; I WAS INFORMED THAT ACR XYZ FLEW UNPRESSURIZED TO XXX AFTER THE PLT COULD NOT PRESSURIZE THE ACFT. UPON ARR TO XXX; IT WAS RPTED THAT MAINT FOUND SHIPPING PLUGS ON BOTH CABIN PRESSURE CONTROLLERS. AFTER MANY (TO ME) DAYS OF QUESTIONING; I LEARNED THAT THE PLUGS IN QUESTION WERE MOST LIKELY THE AMBIENT VENT COVERS. I FOLLOWED THE PAPERWORK TO THE LETTER; YET IT APPEARS I COULD HAVE LEFT THE VENT COVERS IN PLACE. A MCDU BUILT-IN TEST EQUIP WILL NOT SHOW THIS CONDITION AND APPEARS NOT TO BE AFFECTED BY THE COVERS BEING IN PLACE. THIS PROB MIGHT NOT HAVE OCCURRED IF THE VENT COVERS HAVE STREAMERS OR FLAGS ON THEM; AND THE JOB CARD ASSURES THAT VENT COVERS BE REMOVED BEFORE INSTALLATION.