AN AIRBUS A320 PILOT REPORTS OF INCORRECT MEL DEFERRAL; INADEQUATE TROUBLESHOOTING AND SCHEDULE PRESSURES AFFECTING MECHANICS' DUTIES.

Narrative

ARRIVED FOR FLT X. MECH WAS DEFERRING INBOUND WRITE-UP FOR A CAPT TERRAIN PUSHBUTTON SWITCH INOP. AFTER MY CHKS I DISCOVERED THAT IT WAS NOT ONLY THE SWITCH; BUT THE ENTIRE TERRAIN FUNCTION OF THE GPWS SYS. I FEEL THE MECHS AT ACR X ARE SO PUSHED AND THIN THAT THERE WAS NO TIME FOR TROUBLESHOOTING ON THE PROB. THIS WOULD HAVE RESULTED IN AN ILLEGAL DISPATCH FOR THE GPWS SYS BEING INOP FOR THE FLT. THE MEL REFS FOR THE 2 ISSUES ARE DIFFERENT. MEL IS THE IMPORTANT ONE THAT WAS OVERLOOKED BY MAINT. THIS ENDED UP IN INOP'ING THE ENTIRE GPWS SYS. I FEEL THE ACR X MECHS ARE GOOD AT THEIR JOBS; BUT ACR X HAS NOT GIVEN THEM THE TOOLS AND TIME TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE INADEQUATE MAINT DUE TO SCHEDULE PRESSURES ON MAINT PERSONNEL OF THE CARRIER HE FLIES FOR. THE LACK OF PROPER TROUBLESHOOTING; WHEN ATTEMPTING TO DETERMINE WHAT COMPONENT OR ACFT SYSTEM IS ACTUALLY MALFUNCTIONING; OR HAS FAILED; IS A PROBLEM. THIS IN TURN; CONTRIBUTES TO FUNCTIONING ITEMS OR SYSTEMS BEING INCORRECTLY DEFERRED. REPORTER STATED; IN HIS SITUATION; HOWEVER; HAD HE NOT DONE HIS OWN CHECKS; INCLUDING LOOKING UP AND NOTICING THE GPWS FAULT LIGHT WAS ON; HE WOULD HAVE DEPARTED WITH AN MEL RELEASE FOR THE CAPT'S GPWS SWITCH INOP; WHEN IN FACT; THE ENTIRE GPWS SYSTEM WAS NOT FUNCTIONING.