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Commuter jet crew notes improper maintenance on an aircraft radome after a discrepancy report on the WX radar.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 560491 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200209 |
| Day | Sun |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : jfk.airport |
| State Reference | NY |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Weather Elements | Rain |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance ground : preflight ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| ASRS Report | 560491 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : non compliance with mel maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies non adherence : far other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : wx radar other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : unable |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : weather contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : repair |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Weather Aircraft Company |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
WX radar/radome maintenance. Inbound to jfk, flight encountered problems with the WX radar. Display indications appeared to show moisture in the radome advised maintenance at jfk. Maintenance performed a check and test on the radar unit. They also indicated they found moisture in the radome interior. However, jfk maintenance could not place the aircraft in a hangar since the available space was occupied by another. They had no tent or tarp to place over the nose of the aircraft. All maintenance performed was done on an exposed ramp. It rained the entire time. The radar check that was observed indicated moisture still existed in the radome. Maintenance signed off on the radar check. Expressed further concern about the troubleshooting. Maintenance went out and checked the radome again. This time they claimed to find cracks and paint chips on the radome. During a subsequent call to moc, this fact was conveyed. Moc claims they were never informed of the radome problems. In addition to the radar issue, the aircraft had a pack MEL limiting the aircraft to FL250 and below. The route to cle had WX and precipitation was indicated above FL300. Maintenance also indicated that they lacked eddy current and ultrasound equipment to thoroughly check the radome. The signoff occurred prior to completion of all inspections and pertained to the radar not the radome, although this flight canceled the capability of facilities and methods used are a point of concern.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: COMMUTER JET CREW NOTES IMPROPER MAINT ON AN ACFT RADOME AFTER A DISCREPANCY RPT ON THE WX RADAR.
Narrative: WX RADAR/RADOME MAINT. INBOUND TO JFK, FLT ENCOUNTERED PROBS WITH THE WX RADAR. DISPLAY INDICATIONS APPEARED TO SHOW MOISTURE IN THE RADOME ADVISED MAINT AT JFK. MAINT PERFORMED A CHK AND TEST ON THE RADAR UNIT. THEY ALSO INDICATED THEY FOUND MOISTURE IN THE RADOME INTERIOR. HOWEVER, JFK MAINT COULD NOT PLACE THE ACFT IN A HANGAR SINCE THE AVAILABLE SPACE WAS OCCUPIED BY ANOTHER. THEY HAD NO TENT OR TARP TO PLACE OVER THE NOSE OF THE ACFT. ALL MAINT PERFORMED WAS DONE ON AN EXPOSED RAMP. IT RAINED THE ENTIRE TIME. THE RADAR CHK THAT WAS OBSERVED INDICATED MOISTURE STILL EXISTED IN THE RADOME. MAINT SIGNED OFF ON THE RADAR CHK. EXPRESSED FURTHER CONCERN ABOUT THE TROUBLESHOOTING. MAINT WENT OUT AND CHKED THE RADOME AGAIN. THIS TIME THEY CLAIMED TO FIND CRACKS AND PAINT CHIPS ON THE RADOME. DURING A SUBSEQUENT CALL TO MOC, THIS FACT WAS CONVEYED. MOC CLAIMS THEY WERE NEVER INFORMED OF THE RADOME PROBS. IN ADDITION TO THE RADAR ISSUE, THE ACFT HAD A PACK MEL LIMITING THE ACFT TO FL250 AND BELOW. THE RTE TO CLE HAD WX AND PRECIP WAS INDICATED ABOVE FL300. MAINT ALSO INDICATED THAT THEY LACKED EDDY CURRENT AND ULTRASOUND EQUIP TO THOROUGHLY CHK THE RADOME. THE SIGNOFF OCCURRED PRIOR TO COMPLETION OF ALL INSPECTIONS AND PERTAINED TO THE RADAR NOT THE RADOME, ALTHOUGH THIS FLT CANCELED THE CAPABILITY OF FACILITIES AND METHODS USED ARE A POINT OF 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.