 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
A B737-500 was dispatched in non compliance with the captain's windshield wiper assembly removed and deferred in conflict with the MEL requirements.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 537329 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200202 |
| Day | Sat |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Qualification | technician : airframe technician : fcc technician : powerplant |
| ASRS Report | 537329 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : person 2 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : non availability of parts contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : fault isolation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
Aircraft X had a write-up for the left windshield wiper (captain's side) blade that was in the line of vision which, in-flight, did not park out of view. Maintenance checked the problem and stated the motor was bad, allowing the wiper assembly to move under air load. They questioned if the wiper blade assembly could be removed. The B737 aircraft MEL card allows the deferral of the windshield wiper system high and low speed function (this makes the system unusable). Therefore, maintenance removed the wiper assembly and deferred the system per the MEL. After reviewing the problem further, I concluded that possibly bad judgement was used and the wiper assembly should not have been removed, the wiper is not part of the cdl and there is no manual or reference for its removal. I had the deferral corrected at the next station which turned out to require only adjustment of the wiper assembly per the maintenance manual.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-500 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE CAPT'S WINDSHIELD WIPER ASSEMBLY REMOVED AND DEFERRED IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL REQUIREMENTS.
Narrative: ACFT X HAD A WRITE-UP FOR THE L WINDSHIELD WIPER (CAPT'S SIDE) BLADE THAT WAS IN THE LINE OF VISION WHICH, INFLT, DID NOT PARK OUT OF VIEW. MAINT CHKED THE PROB AND STATED THE MOTOR WAS BAD, ALLOWING THE WIPER ASSEMBLY TO MOVE UNDER AIR LOAD. THEY QUESTIONED IF THE WIPER BLADE ASSEMBLY COULD BE REMOVED. THE B737 ACFT MEL CARD ALLOWS THE DEFERRAL OF THE WINDSHIELD WIPER SYS HIGH AND LOW SPD FUNCTION (THIS MAKES THE SYS UNUSABLE). THEREFORE, MAINT REMOVED THE WIPER ASSEMBLY AND DEFERRED THE SYS PER THE MEL. AFTER REVIEWING THE PROB FURTHER, I CONCLUDED THAT POSSIBLY BAD JUDGEMENT WAS USED AND THE WIPER ASSEMBLY SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN REMOVED, THE WIPER IS NOT PART OF THE CDL AND THERE IS NO MANUAL OR REF FOR ITS REMOVAL. I HAD THE DEFERRAL CORRECTED AT THE NEXT STATION WHICH TURNED OUT TO REQUIRE ONLY ADJUSTMENT OF THE WIPER ASSEMBLY PER THE MAINT MANUAL.
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.