Narrative:

In sum: I am an a&P mechanic working for abc airline at the maintenance base. I was assigned a summer operations check on aircraft X. I performed an operational check of the cabin oxygen system and it failed. I worked on the system and found the oxygen compensating regulator had failed. The lead mechanic advised me to continue working aircraft X. No regulators were in stock so the lead said he would have a regulator robbed from aircraft Z. The supervisor instructed the lead mechanic and I to install the robbed regulator in aircraft X as a permanent fix. The lead mechanic handed me the robbed regulator from aircraft Z and I went to the inspection department to have a parts tag filled out and inspection to make the part svcable. I installed the part on aircraft X and tested the system ok. I then completed the aircraft X work package paperwork. On feb/xx/97 I was advised that aircraft Z was missing the oxygen compensating regulator. After reflecting on the work accomplished I advised the base manager, supervisor and lead mechanic that I was not involved in the regulator removal from aircraft Z. Regardless my non involvement went unnoticed and I was informed that the company would make a voluntary disclosure where I was the accused. As stated in abc airlines general maintenance manual section covering cannibalization or robbed parts the maintenance supervisor or the lead mechanic will initiate a non routine item on the aircraft from which the unit robbed. Where the part is to go and write-ups on the aircraft receiving the part. It is my opinion the management has cut the mechanic's work force and now we are assigned 6 aircraft per night with added schedule pressure. Also supervision deviates from the general maintenance manual and requires mechanics to assume their responsibility. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter did not remove the oxygen regulator from airplane Z. His only contact was when the lead mechanic handed the reporter the robbed or cannibalized regulator from airplane Z with logbook information needed to properly tag the removed part. The reporter has no knowledge of who removed the part from airplane Z. The reporter has 6 yrs a&P experience with part 121 carriers. The FAA has not contacted the reporter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BA JETSTREAM 4100 FLEW NUMEROUS CYCLES WITH THE OXYGEN SYS INOP DUE TO PART REMOVED AND NOT REPLACED.

Narrative: IN SUM: I AM AN A&P MECH WORKING FOR ABC AIRLINE AT THE MAINT BASE. I WAS ASSIGNED A SUMMER OPS CHK ON ACFT X. I PERFORMED AN OPERATIONAL CHK OF THE CABIN OXYGEN SYS AND IT FAILED. I WORKED ON THE SYS AND FOUND THE OXYGEN COMPENSATING REGULATOR HAD FAILED. THE LEAD MECH ADVISED ME TO CONTINUE WORKING ACFT X. NO REGULATORS WERE IN STOCK SO THE LEAD SAID HE WOULD HAVE A REGULATOR ROBBED FROM ACFT Z. THE SUPVR INSTRUCTED THE LEAD MECH AND I TO INSTALL THE ROBBED REGULATOR IN ACFT X AS A PERMANENT FIX. THE LEAD MECH HANDED ME THE ROBBED REGULATOR FROM ACFT Z AND I WENT TO THE INSPECTION DEPT TO HAVE A PARTS TAG FILLED OUT AND INSPECTION TO MAKE THE PART SVCABLE. I INSTALLED THE PART ON ACFT X AND TESTED THE SYS OK. I THEN COMPLETED THE ACFT X WORK PACKAGE PAPERWORK. ON FEB/XX/97 I WAS ADVISED THAT ACFT Z WAS MISSING THE OXYGEN COMPENSATING REGULATOR. AFTER REFLECTING ON THE WORK ACCOMPLISHED I ADVISED THE BASE MGR, SUPVR AND LEAD MECH THAT I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE REGULATOR REMOVAL FROM ACFT Z. REGARDLESS MY NON INVOLVEMENT WENT UNNOTICED AND I WAS INFORMED THAT THE COMPANY WOULD MAKE A VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURE WHERE I WAS THE ACCUSED. AS STATED IN ABC AIRLINES GENERAL MAINT MANUAL SECTION COVERING CANNIBALIZATION OR ROBBED PARTS THE MAINT SUPVR OR THE LEAD MECH WILL INITIATE A NON ROUTINE ITEM ON THE ACFT FROM WHICH THE UNIT ROBBED. WHERE THE PART IS TO GO AND WRITE-UPS ON THE ACFT RECEIVING THE PART. IT IS MY OPINION THE MGMNT HAS CUT THE MECH'S WORK FORCE AND NOW WE ARE ASSIGNED 6 ACFT PER NIGHT WITH ADDED SCHEDULE PRESSURE. ALSO SUPERVISION DEVIATES FROM THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL AND REQUIRES MECHS TO ASSUME THEIR RESPONSIBILITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR DID NOT REMOVE THE OXYGEN REGULATOR FROM AIRPLANE Z. HIS ONLY CONTACT WAS WHEN THE LEAD MECH HANDED THE RPTR THE ROBBED OR CANNIBALIZED REGULATOR FROM AIRPLANE Z WITH LOGBOOK INFO NEEDED TO PROPERLY TAG THE REMOVED PART. THE RPTR HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHO REMOVED THE PART FROM AIRPLANE Z. THE RPTR HAS 6 YRS A&P EXPERIENCE WITH PART 121 CARRIERS. THE FAA HAS NOT CONTACTED THE RPTR.

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.