Narrative:

On sep/sat/02, I witnessed one of my new hire mechanics installing a set of aircraft batteries improperly. Instead of using .032 inch safety wire, the mechanic was using copper breakaway wire to safety the wing nuts that secured the batteries to the battery tray. While instructing her that we only use the copper wire on the connectors, she informed me that she had used the copper wire in the same manner the week before on a different aircraft. At that time I informed my immediate supervisor who, in turn, contacted our maintenance control to track down that aircraft in question to have it inspected. Since it was our shift change, he said that he would follow it through and let me know what happened in the morning. Upon arrival to work sunday morning sep/sun/02, the supervisor informed me that the copper safety wire was in fact installed but now corrected, and that the auxiliary battery connector needed to be resecured with copper safety wire.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DEHAVILLAND DASH 8-100 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE MAIN SHIP'S BATTERY AND AUX BATTERY TRAY HOLD DOWN WING NUTS BEING INCORRECTLY SAFETIED.

Narrative: ON SEP/SAT/02, I WITNESSED ONE OF MY NEW HIRE MECHS INSTALLING A SET OF ACFT BATTERIES IMPROPERLY. INSTEAD OF USING .032 INCH SAFETY WIRE, THE MECH WAS USING COPPER BREAKAWAY WIRE TO SAFETY THE WING NUTS THAT SECURED THE BATTERIES TO THE BATTERY TRAY. WHILE INSTRUCTING HER THAT WE ONLY USE THE COPPER WIRE ON THE CONNECTORS, SHE INFORMED ME THAT SHE HAD USED THE COPPER WIRE IN THE SAME MANNER THE WK BEFORE ON A DIFFERENT ACFT. AT THAT TIME I INFORMED MY IMMEDIATE SUPVR WHO, IN TURN, CONTACTED OUR MAINT CTL TO TRACK DOWN THAT ACFT IN QUESTION TO HAVE IT INSPECTED. SINCE IT WAS OUR SHIFT CHANGE, HE SAID THAT HE WOULD FOLLOW IT THROUGH AND LET ME KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MORNING. UPON ARR TO WORK SUNDAY MORNING SEP/SUN/02, THE SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT THE COPPER SAFETY WIRE WAS IN FACT INSTALLED BUT NOW CORRECTED, AND THAT THE AUX BATTERY CONNECTOR NEEDED TO BE RESECURED WITH COPPER SAFETY WIRE.

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.