Narrative:

We waited for almost 9 hours for mechanics to go on this road trip. There was no supervisor working this shift. During previous shift; the road trip was set up; but for some reason the mechanics did not make the flight. Since the tracking sheet had no information on what was the problem; I elected to call contract maintenance back out to give the MEL procedure another try. Both method #1 and method #2 MEL procedures were failing at the same step. The gust lock lever was locking when it should not be locking. Someone already had ordered the solenoid; so we let that continue. I also talked with mr X and I believe he also told me the solenoid would be a good place to start. I also believe he told me that the quadrant does not have to be removed to replace the solenoid. I told him maintenance is telling us it does. Again he told me they would like to change the whole quadrant assembly and needed rii. I asked if any rii people would go. He told me his rii would be coming in 10 mins. I told him to ask the rii mechanic to go. He called back and said the rii would not go. I then called mr Y and asked if he had any other ideas; of if we could get a di/temperature rii for someone else. I told him I was not 100% sure the contract maintenance was doing the MEL procedure correctly. So he decided to just send 1 mechanic up to evaluate the situation. So we got the same mechanic that missed the earlier flight on the last departure. The flight had already departed the gate; but we called it back to get the mechanic on the flight. After he arrived; he evaluated the aircraft and confirmed the solenoid was bad. I believe the controller asked him if he could change the solenoid without taking the quadrant out. I thought he was going to look at it and call us back. At that time I started to check on charters to send an rii up in case it was required. I called and talked to mr Z. He told me mechanic has done a few of those solenoids; and they never use an rii. He told me they never remove the quadrant. He talked it over with someone else; and he also said rii not required. This could be a gray area. We did look in the gpm; but under chapter 76 it just says rii for installation and rig. I did not see anything under chapter 27 for gust lock. So as long as the quadrant was not removed we did not need an rii. The time frame (maybe less than 1 hour) I could not remember; but it seemed very short. I recall him telling me the mechanic already had the solenoid out. I did not ask; nor do I remember if he asked the mechanic if he had to pull the quadrant out. Since I talked it over with him on the rii issue; I figured if he at all told me he removed the quadrant; we would have stopped and sent an rii. So everything continued on; and the installation went great; and everything was working. I did not hear anything the rest of the night. The next evening I talked to mr X and he told me he and mr Y had issues in the morning about the rii. The mechanic missed his flight back because maintenance called them and said an rii was needed. They called a few other bases; and everyone agreed rii was not needed. I do not know if they asked the mechanic if he removed the quadrant or not. Supplemental information from acn 662287: in my final discussion; I was left with the impression that he was replacing only the solenoid and had not removed the quadrant. Apparently he did remove the quadrant to replace the solenoid. This action is an rii item and there was no rii inspector/designee on site and the aircraft was returned to service for revenue operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB135 HAD A GUST LOCK SOLENOID FAIL. TECHNICIAN REPLACED ENTIRE CTL QUADRANT AND RETURNED AIRPLANE TO SVC. REQUIRED FAA INSPECTION ITEM NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: WE WAITED FOR ALMOST 9 HRS FOR MECHS TO GO ON THIS ROAD TRIP. THERE WAS NO SUPVR WORKING THIS SHIFT. DURING PREVIOUS SHIFT; THE ROAD TRIP WAS SET UP; BUT FOR SOME REASON THE MECHS DID NOT MAKE THE FLT. SINCE THE TRACKING SHEET HAD NO INFO ON WHAT WAS THE PROB; I ELECTED TO CALL CONTRACT MAINT BACK OUT TO GIVE THE MEL PROC ANOTHER TRY. BOTH METHOD #1 AND METHOD #2 MEL PROCS WERE FAILING AT THE SAME STEP. THE GUST LOCK LEVER WAS LOCKING WHEN IT SHOULD NOT BE LOCKING. SOMEONE ALREADY HAD ORDERED THE SOLENOID; SO WE LET THAT CONTINUE. I ALSO TALKED WITH MR X AND I BELIEVE HE ALSO TOLD ME THE SOLENOID WOULD BE A GOOD PLACE TO START. I ALSO BELIEVE HE TOLD ME THAT THE QUADRANT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE REMOVED TO REPLACE THE SOLENOID. I TOLD HIM MAINT IS TELLING US IT DOES. AGAIN HE TOLD ME THEY WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE WHOLE QUADRANT ASSEMBLY AND NEEDED RII. I ASKED IF ANY RII PEOPLE WOULD GO. HE TOLD ME HIS RII WOULD BE COMING IN 10 MINS. I TOLD HIM TO ASK THE RII MECH TO GO. HE CALLED BACK AND SAID THE RII WOULD NOT GO. I THEN CALLED MR Y AND ASKED IF HE HAD ANY OTHER IDEAS; OF IF WE COULD GET A DI/TEMP RII FOR SOMEONE ELSE. I TOLD HIM I WAS NOT 100% SURE THE CONTRACT MAINT WAS DOING THE MEL PROC CORRECTLY. SO HE DECIDED TO JUST SEND 1 MECH UP TO EVALUATE THE SIT. SO WE GOT THE SAME MECH THAT MISSED THE EARLIER FLT ON THE LAST DEP. THE FLT HAD ALREADY DEPARTED THE GATE; BUT WE CALLED IT BACK TO GET THE MECH ON THE FLT. AFTER HE ARRIVED; HE EVALUATED THE ACFT AND CONFIRMED THE SOLENOID WAS BAD. I BELIEVE THE CTLR ASKED HIM IF HE COULD CHANGE THE SOLENOID WITHOUT TAKING THE QUADRANT OUT. I THOUGHT HE WAS GOING TO LOOK AT IT AND CALL US BACK. AT THAT TIME I STARTED TO CHK ON CHARTERS TO SEND AN RII UP IN CASE IT WAS REQUIRED. I CALLED AND TALKED TO MR Z. HE TOLD ME MECH HAS DONE A FEW OF THOSE SOLENOIDS; AND THEY NEVER USE AN RII. HE TOLD ME THEY NEVER REMOVE THE QUADRANT. HE TALKED IT OVER WITH SOMEONE ELSE; AND HE ALSO SAID RII NOT REQUIRED. THIS COULD BE A GRAY AREA. WE DID LOOK IN THE GPM; BUT UNDER CHAPTER 76 IT JUST SAYS RII FOR INSTALLATION AND RIG. I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING UNDER CHAPTER 27 FOR GUST LOCK. SO AS LONG AS THE QUADRANT WAS NOT REMOVED WE DID NOT NEED AN RII. THE TIME FRAME (MAYBE LESS THAN 1 HR) I COULD NOT REMEMBER; BUT IT SEEMED VERY SHORT. I RECALL HIM TELLING ME THE MECH ALREADY HAD THE SOLENOID OUT. I DID NOT ASK; NOR DO I REMEMBER IF HE ASKED THE MECH IF HE HAD TO PULL THE QUADRANT OUT. SINCE I TALKED IT OVER WITH HIM ON THE RII ISSUE; I FIGURED IF HE AT ALL TOLD ME HE REMOVED THE QUADRANT; WE WOULD HAVE STOPPED AND SENT AN RII. SO EVERYTHING CONTINUED ON; AND THE INSTALLATION WENT GREAT; AND EVERYTHING WAS WORKING. I DID NOT HEAR ANYTHING THE REST OF THE NIGHT. THE NEXT EVENING I TALKED TO MR X AND HE TOLD ME HE AND MR Y HAD ISSUES IN THE MORNING ABOUT THE RII. THE MECH MISSED HIS FLT BACK BECAUSE MAINT CALLED THEM AND SAID AN RII WAS NEEDED. THEY CALLED A FEW OTHER BASES; AND EVERYONE AGREED RII WAS NOT NEEDED. I DO NOT KNOW IF THEY ASKED THE MECH IF HE REMOVED THE QUADRANT OR NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 662287: IN MY FINAL DISCUSSION; I WAS LEFT WITH THE IMPRESSION THAT HE WAS REPLACING ONLY THE SOLENOID AND HAD NOT REMOVED THE QUADRANT. APPARENTLY HE DID REMOVE THE QUADRANT TO REPLACE THE SOLENOID. THIS ACTION IS AN RII ITEM AND THERE WAS NO RII INSPECTOR/DESIGNEE ON SITE AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC FOR REVENUE OPS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.