A beech A36 was returned to service and flown with the dc generator mount bolt nuts not tightened.

Attributes
ACN	378292
Time
Date	199708
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : corporate
Make Model Name	Bonanza 36
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 91
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	378292
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft came in with itinerant alternator problem. Amp gauge would show discharge at times. Ran aircraft with volt meter attached to aircraft bus to check what was going on with the alternator. Meter showed that voltage would drop off and then go to excessive voltage. I determined that the voltage regulator was bad. The brushes in the alternator could also cause this problem and it would not take long to check them. Started to check the brushes, they had fallen down inside, I could not tell if they were good or bad. So the boss said to take the alternator off. I started to take off the alternator when this other person said I didn't have to pull the alternator off to reseat the brushes. As I look back at it, at this time I told the other person to let me tighten the nuts on the alternator before we reseat the brushes. I, with the best of my knowledge, tightened the nuts at this time. The other person cannot remember if I tightened them or not. It is possible that I did not tighten them. Having different people making suggestions on how to do the job can cause confusion and possible something being missed. I also had received notice the day before that a close relative was in the hospital for test and while they were doing one of the test they cut an artery and she went flat line. They revived her and rushed her into surgery. She made it through surgery but she was in intensive care, in critical condition. This was on my mind and could have added to the missing the tightening of the nuts.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BEECH A36 WAS RETURNED TO SVC AND FLOWN WITH THE DC GENERATOR MOUNT BOLT NUTS NOT TIGHTENED.

Narrative: ACFT CAME IN WITH ITINERANT ALTERNATOR PROB. AMP GAUGE WOULD SHOW DISCHARGE AT TIMES. RAN ACFT WITH VOLT METER ATTACHED TO ACFT BUS TO CHK WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THE ALTERNATOR. METER SHOWED THAT VOLTAGE WOULD DROP OFF AND THEN GO TO EXCESSIVE VOLTAGE. I DETERMINED THAT THE VOLTAGE REGULATOR WAS BAD. THE BRUSHES IN THE ALTERNATOR COULD ALSO CAUSE THIS PROB AND IT WOULD NOT TAKE LONG TO CHK THEM. STARTED TO CHK THE BRUSHES, THEY HAD FALLEN DOWN INSIDE, I COULD NOT TELL IF THEY WERE GOOD OR BAD. SO THE BOSS SAID TO TAKE THE ALTERNATOR OFF. I STARTED TO TAKE OFF THE ALTERNATOR WHEN THIS OTHER PERSON SAID I DIDN'T HAVE TO PULL THE ALTERNATOR OFF TO RESEAT THE BRUSHES. AS I LOOK BACK AT IT, AT THIS TIME I TOLD THE OTHER PERSON TO LET ME TIGHTEN THE NUTS ON THE ALTERNATOR BEFORE WE RESEAT THE BRUSHES. I, WITH THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, TIGHTENED THE NUTS AT THIS TIME. THE OTHER PERSON CANNOT REMEMBER IF I TIGHTENED THEM OR NOT. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I DID NOT TIGHTEN THEM. HAVING DIFFERENT PEOPLE MAKING SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO DO THE JOB CAN CAUSE CONFUSION AND POSSIBLE SOMETHING BEING MISSED. I ALSO HAD RECEIVED NOTICE THE DAY BEFORE THAT A CLOSE RELATIVE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR TEST AND WHILE THEY WERE DOING ONE OF THE TEST THEY CUT AN ARTERY AND SHE WENT FLAT LINE. THEY REVIVED HER AND RUSHED HER INTO SURGERY. SHE MADE IT THROUGH SURGERY BUT SHE WAS IN INTENSIVE CARE, IN CRITICAL CONDITION. THIS WAS ON MY MIND AND COULD HAVE ADDED TO THE MISSING THE TIGHTENING OF THE NUTS.

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.