Narrative:

I came in to work on my regular shift. At that time I saw aircraft in hangar being worked on by a mechanic on previous shift; accessing center wing tank l-hand side by himself without correct equipment such as fuel collector tank for collecting fuel; no safety equipment; fire guard. After previous shift mechanic went home; my shift supervisor and shift lead told me I needed to finish the job of changing the drain valve that was leaking on inboard side of tank. The supervisor was on the phone with the base manager telling him we needed 2 qualified people to do the job and that I was the only one here on my shift. Base manager told supervisor to call previous shift mechanic back in from home to work with me on job; then decided to have me come back on the previous shift overtime on sunday to do the job. The base at other station had sent down a vent system to vent tank I was told to install and leave overnight to vent tank. As I went to install the vent system; I found out we could not use it because the air line hook-up was different from what we had; so I showed the lead and supervisor that the equipment was left sitting next to aircraft overnight with tank open to vent. I came back in at XA30 to do the job with previous shift mechanic and we installed the fitting in about 10 mins after old one; which was verified by quality control previous shift personnel. Because the tank was vented overnight and we did not have to go into tank; only access it with 1 arm to install; the tank access form and meter to read fuel vapor level was not used; which should have been. But due to time it took it was not filled out. The aircraft was closed; leak checked; and sent out on revenue flight. Mistake was made on my part and the mechanic on previous shift for not filling out tank access form and using meter. We do not access fuel tanks at ZZZ very often; if at all. I feel; due to the lack of training and equipment and pressure by management; this mistake was made but could have been prevented. To prevent this from happening again; we need better training and the right equipment and not be pressured in getting the job done without everything in place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB140 L WING CTR TANK DRAIN VALVE WAS REPLACED WITH A TANK ENTRY. THE REQUIRED SAFETY EQUIP; FIRE GUARD AND FUEL VAPOR LEVEL METER WERE NOT UTILIZED.

Narrative: I CAME IN TO WORK ON MY REGULAR SHIFT. AT THAT TIME I SAW ACFT IN HANGAR BEING WORKED ON BY A MECH ON PREVIOUS SHIFT; ACCESSING CTR WING TANK L-HAND SIDE BY HIMSELF WITHOUT CORRECT EQUIP SUCH AS FUEL COLLECTOR TANK FOR COLLECTING FUEL; NO SAFETY EQUIP; FIRE GUARD. AFTER PREVIOUS SHIFT MECH WENT HOME; MY SHIFT SUPVR AND SHIFT LEAD TOLD ME I NEEDED TO FINISH THE JOB OF CHANGING THE DRAIN VALVE THAT WAS LEAKING ON INBOARD SIDE OF TANK. THE SUPVR WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE BASE MGR TELLING HIM WE NEEDED 2 QUALIFIED PEOPLE TO DO THE JOB AND THAT I WAS THE ONLY ONE HERE ON MY SHIFT. BASE MGR TOLD SUPVR TO CALL PREVIOUS SHIFT MECH BACK IN FROM HOME TO WORK WITH ME ON JOB; THEN DECIDED TO HAVE ME COME BACK ON THE PREVIOUS SHIFT OVERTIME ON SUNDAY TO DO THE JOB. THE BASE AT OTHER STATION HAD SENT DOWN A VENT SYS TO VENT TANK I WAS TOLD TO INSTALL AND LEAVE OVERNIGHT TO VENT TANK. AS I WENT TO INSTALL THE VENT SYS; I FOUND OUT WE COULD NOT USE IT BECAUSE THE AIR LINE HOOK-UP WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAD; SO I SHOWED THE LEAD AND SUPVR THAT THE EQUIP WAS LEFT SITTING NEXT TO ACFT OVERNIGHT WITH TANK OPEN TO VENT. I CAME BACK IN AT XA30 TO DO THE JOB WITH PREVIOUS SHIFT MECH AND WE INSTALLED THE FITTING IN ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER OLD ONE; WHICH WAS VERIFIED BY QUALITY CTL PREVIOUS SHIFT PERSONNEL. BECAUSE THE TANK WAS VENTED OVERNIGHT AND WE DID NOT HAVE TO GO INTO TANK; ONLY ACCESS IT WITH 1 ARM TO INSTALL; THE TANK ACCESS FORM AND METER TO READ FUEL VAPOR LEVEL WAS NOT USED; WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN. BUT DUE TO TIME IT TOOK IT WAS NOT FILLED OUT. THE ACFT WAS CLOSED; LEAK CHKED; AND SENT OUT ON REVENUE FLT. MISTAKE WAS MADE ON MY PART AND THE MECH ON PREVIOUS SHIFT FOR NOT FILLING OUT TANK ACCESS FORM AND USING METER. WE DO NOT ACCESS FUEL TANKS AT ZZZ VERY OFTEN; IF AT ALL. I FEEL; DUE TO THE LACK OF TRAINING AND EQUIP AND PRESSURE BY MGMNT; THIS MISTAKE WAS MADE BUT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; WE NEED BETTER TRAINING AND THE RIGHT EQUIP AND NOT BE PRESSURED IN GETTING THE JOB DONE WITHOUT EVERYTHING IN PLACE.

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.