Narrative:

The bae ATP currently has an airworthiness directive requiring inspection of the main wheel bearings after every second landing. This is carried out typically after the aircraft arrives each time at ord airport. Company mechanics perform inspection then sign off aircraft logbook noting airworthiness directive compliance. This is to be verified by captain before each departure at ord. This would be fine except many aircraft come and go, with minimal number of mechanics to handle airworthiness directives and other mechanical problems. Sometimes aircraft do not get immediate airworthiness directive attention upon arrival. New crew goes to aircraft and must determine if airworthiness directive inspection has been done or not. Some signoffs will not have a time or flight number notated making determination difficult. On this flight I was unsure if airworthiness directive inspection had been done, but with quick crew change and short time to departure, plus another mechanical problem, failed to verify that inspection had been done. After arriving at first destination realized that I had forgotten, check logbook again and find out there is no signoff for airworthiness directive. Through maintenance control contract local mechanics to perform airworthiness directive inspection and airworthiness directive signoff. Company's procedures for ensuring airworthiness directive inspections are very sloppy and do not track aircraft signoffs for airworthiness directive or maintain any paperwork for inspection if it is performed, but failed to enter it in aircraft logbook. Airworthiness directive compliance cannot be completely shouldered by captain who has many items in preflight to perform and verify. Maintenance procedures obviously need much improvement to ensure airworthiness directive inspections are performed as required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MDT FLIES WITHOUT PROPER LOGBOOK SIGNOFF OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

Narrative: THE BAE ATP CURRENTLY HAS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE REQUIRING INSPECTION OF THE MAIN WHEEL BEARINGS AFTER EVERY SECOND LNDG. THIS IS CARRIED OUT TYPICALLY AFTER THE ACFT ARRIVES EACH TIME AT ORD ARPT. COMPANY MECHS PERFORM INSPECTION THEN SIGN OFF ACFT LOGBOOK NOTING AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE COMPLIANCE. THIS IS TO BE VERIFIED BY CAPT BEFORE EACH DEP AT ORD. THIS WOULD BE FINE EXCEPT MANY ACFT COME AND GO, WITH MINIMAL NUMBER OF MECHS TO HANDLE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES AND OTHER MECHANICAL PROBS. SOMETIMES ACFT DO NOT GET IMMEDIATE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ATTN UPON ARR. NEW CREW GOES TO ACFT AND MUST DETERMINE IF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTION HAS BEEN DONE OR NOT. SOME SIGNOFFS WILL NOT HAVE A TIME OR FLT NUMBER NOTATED MAKING DETERMINATION DIFFICULT. ON THIS FLT I WAS UNSURE IF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTION HAD BEEN DONE, BUT WITH QUICK CREW CHANGE AND SHORT TIME TO DEP, PLUS ANOTHER MECHANICAL PROB, FAILED TO VERIFY THAT INSPECTION HAD BEEN DONE. AFTER ARRIVING AT FIRST DEST REALIZED THAT I HAD FORGOTTEN, CHK LOGBOOK AGAIN AND FIND OUT THERE IS NO SIGNOFF FOR AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE. THROUGH MAINT CTL CONTRACT LCL MECHS TO PERFORM AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTION AND AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SIGNOFF. COMPANY'S PROCS FOR ENSURING AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTIONS ARE VERY SLOPPY AND DO NOT TRACK ACFT SIGNOFFS FOR AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE OR MAINTAIN ANY PAPERWORK FOR INSPECTION IF IT IS PERFORMED, BUT FAILED TO ENTER IT IN ACFT LOGBOOK. AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE COMPLIANCE CANNOT BE COMPLETELY SHOULDERED BY CAPT WHO HAS MANY ITEMS IN PREFLT TO PERFORM AND VERIFY. MAINT PROCS OBVIOUSLY NEED MUCH IMPROVEMENT TO ENSURE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE INSPECTIONS ARE PERFORMED AS REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.