An EMB140 in heavy maintenance had minor paint repairs to elevator surfaces without removal of eleva...

Attributes
ACN	727129
Time
Date	200702
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lex.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 140 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
ASRS Report	727129
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : manuals contributing factor : work cards performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Environmental Factor Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Situations
Publication	structural repair manual

Narrative:

During heavy maintenance inspections; I have repaired the finish (paint) on the elevator. Minor in nature using the company procedure manual. However just this week my supervisor instructed me to remove both the left and right elevator because it had similar touch up paint repairs that needed to be accomplished and therefore needed to be statically balanced as stated in the EMB140 amm and that states in step 1A; 'this section gives the necessary procedures to do the static balancing of the left and right elevators after a rework; repair or painting of the elevator and or of the spring tab.' my concern is; that with the repair on the elevator panels whether it is paint or composite repairs; have I not been following maintenance procedures by not removing the elevator and performing a static balance to the elevator by installing a repaired panel or by touching up paint on the elevator. I have spoken with several mechanics on this issue and it appears that they perform the same tasks in the same manner as I do. And I have been doing these heavy checks for about 2-3 yrs. So I do believe that it is our maintenance base as a whole that may be at fault here and for some time. This is a problem with only the elevators that were not removed from the aircraft. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the problem is nobody bothered about the minor paint repairs accomplished during the heavy maintenance checks until someone looked for the allowable limits in the embraer 140 structural repair manual and found nothing. The reaction was immediate and any minor paint repair required left and right elevator removal and routing through the flight control shop for minor paint repair and rebalancing. The problem has been kicked upstairs to engineering and the manufacturers level but still no manual revision for allowable paint repair limits without rebalancing.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB140 IN HVY MAINT HAD MINOR PAINT REPAIRS TO ELEVATOR SURFACES WITHOUT REMOVAL OF ELEVATOR. TECHNICIAN RPTS THEY ARE NOW REQUIRED TO REMOVE ELEVATORS FOR MINOR PAINT REPAIRS.

Narrative: DURING HVY MAINT INSPECTIONS; I HAVE REPAIRED THE FINISH (PAINT) ON THE ELEVATOR. MINOR IN NATURE USING THE COMPANY PROC MANUAL. HOWEVER JUST THIS WEEK MY SUPVR INSTRUCTED ME TO REMOVE BOTH THE L AND R ELEVATOR BECAUSE IT HAD SIMILAR TOUCH UP PAINT REPAIRS THAT NEEDED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED AND THEREFORE NEEDED TO BE STATICALLY BALANCED AS STATED IN THE EMB140 AMM AND THAT STATES IN STEP 1A; 'THIS SECTION GIVES THE NECESSARY PROCS TO DO THE STATIC BALANCING OF THE L AND R ELEVATORS AFTER A REWORK; REPAIR OR PAINTING OF THE ELEVATOR AND OR OF THE SPRING TAB.' MY CONCERN IS; THAT WITH THE REPAIR ON THE ELEVATOR PANELS WHETHER IT IS PAINT OR COMPOSITE REPAIRS; HAVE I NOT BEEN FOLLOWING MAINT PROCS BY NOT REMOVING THE ELEVATOR AND PERFORMING A STATIC BAL TO THE ELEVATOR BY INSTALLING A REPAIRED PANEL OR BY TOUCHING UP PAINT ON THE ELEVATOR. I HAVE SPOKEN WITH SEVERAL MECHS ON THIS ISSUE AND IT APPEARS THAT THEY PERFORM THE SAME TASKS IN THE SAME MANNER AS I DO. AND I HAVE BEEN DOING THESE HVY CHKS FOR ABOUT 2-3 YRS. SO I DO BELIEVE THAT IT IS OUR MAINT BASE AS A WHOLE THAT MAY BE AT FAULT HERE AND FOR SOME TIME. THIS IS A PROB WITH ONLY THE ELEVATORS THAT WERE NOT REMOVED FROM THE ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PROB IS NOBODY BOTHERED ABOUT THE MINOR PAINT REPAIRS ACCOMPLISHED DURING THE HVY MAINT CHKS UNTIL SOMEONE LOOKED FOR THE ALLOWABLE LIMITS IN THE EMBRAER 140 STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL AND FOUND NOTHING. THE REACTION WAS IMMEDIATE AND ANY MINOR PAINT REPAIR REQUIRED L AND R ELEVATOR REMOVAL AND ROUTING THROUGH THE FLT CTL SHOP FOR MINOR PAINT REPAIR AND REBALANCING. THE PROB HAS BEEN KICKED UPSTAIRS TO ENGINEERING AND THE MANUFACTURERS LEVEL BUT STILL NO MANUAL REVISION FOR ALLOWABLE PAINT REPAIR LIMITS WITHOUT REBALANCING.

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.

An EMB140 in heavy maintenance had minor paint repairs to elevator surfaces without removal of elevator. Technician reports they are now required to remove elevators for minor paint repairs.