Narrative:

During the last several months, our company has been using contract maintenance at outstations to perform routine maintenance inspections. Since this practice started, I have experienced several related problems: 1) a light bulb was replaced in a passenger service unit. On the way to atl the entire overhead unit fell down. 2) dead aircraft battery in the morning. Get this -- the contract mechanics are not qualified to start or shut down the aircraft APU! Yet they perform aircraft inspections, usually at night using only flashlights and pick-up truck lights, with the aircraft depwred. Aircraft type is EMB120. We are very short mechanics at our airline, and are seeing more and more outsourcing of maintenance duties. The FAA needs to monitor, oversee, and standardize this process. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the FBO mechanics were given 1 day of training and then performed overnight checks and servicing of EMB120 aircraft. The reporter said the company is very short of experienced mechanics and the turnover rate is very high. The reporter stated the work is being done without benefit of the maintenance manual, job cards, or any aircraft system training. The reporter said these people do not know what they are doing and may be a safety of flight concern.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EMB120 ACFT BEING SVCED AND OVERNIGHT CHKS BEING PERFORMED BY CONTRACT MECHS WITHOUT MAINT MANUALS, JOB CARDS OR PROPER ACFT SYS TRAINING.

Narrative: DURING THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, OUR COMPANY HAS BEEN USING CONTRACT MAINT AT OUTSTATIONS TO PERFORM ROUTINE MAINT INSPECTIONS. SINCE THIS PRACTICE STARTED, I HAVE EXPERIENCED SEVERAL RELATED PROBS: 1) A LIGHT BULB WAS REPLACED IN A PAX SVC UNIT. ON THE WAY TO ATL THE ENTIRE OVERHEAD UNIT FELL DOWN. 2) DEAD ACFT BATTERY IN THE MORNING. GET THIS -- THE CONTRACT MECHS ARE NOT QUALIFIED TO START OR SHUT DOWN THE ACFT APU! YET THEY PERFORM ACFT INSPECTIONS, USUALLY AT NIGHT USING ONLY FLASHLIGHTS AND PICK-UP TRUCK LIGHTS, WITH THE ACFT DEPWRED. ACFT TYPE IS EMB120. WE ARE VERY SHORT MECHS AT OUR AIRLINE, AND ARE SEEING MORE AND MORE OUTSOURCING OF MAINT DUTIES. THE FAA NEEDS TO MONITOR, OVERSEE, AND STANDARDIZE THIS PROCESS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FBO MECHS WERE GIVEN 1 DAY OF TRAINING AND THEN PERFORMED OVERNIGHT CHKS AND SVCING OF EMB120 ACFT. THE RPTR SAID THE COMPANY IS VERY SHORT OF EXPERIENCED MECHS AND THE TURNOVER RATE IS VERY HIGH. THE RPTR STATED THE WORK IS BEING DONE WITHOUT BENEFIT OF THE MAINT MANUAL, JOB CARDS, OR ANY ACFT SYS TRAINING. THE RPTR SAID THESE PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND MAY BE A SAFETY OF FLT CONCERN.

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.