Narrative:

We went to ZZZ to fix an aircraft with both feed low pressure lights not coming on after engine shut down; with both fuel pumps in off position. The aircraft had the right system fuel pump run light on MEL. As operational requirement the feed low pressure lights must work normally when having such MEL. Note: after long troubleshooting the feed low pressure light was not coming on unless you remove the power of the motive flow valves. I told the management that there were 2 ways to bring the aircraft back to ZZZ2. First; fixing the aircraft with the proper parts; information; and tools. Second; with a legal document from ATR or engineering department stating the aircraft was in safe conditions for a ferry flight with such fuel system problems. After 3 days of conversation with company; and ATR; the document was not received and we were forced to send an e-mail to ATR to force them to answer our concern in written. They (ATR) asked us to make some final checks; and after finding positive the checks; they gave the approval for the ferry permit. The aircraft was released for the sfp under the ATR recommendations on the e-mail. For my surprise the aircraft was released at ZZZ2 with just an opt check with no additional documents from ATR. In my opinion this aircraft is flying illegally; in accordance with the ATR maintenance manuals and MEL book. In all MEL's requires feed low pressure lights alert on with aircraft on ground; network energized; fuel pumps off; engine feed jet pump off; motive flow valve closed; xfeed valve closed; lp valve open. This event occurred due to the lack of help and initiative from air carrier X engineering department especially mr X. As an engineering department they fail to help and give support to the mechanics where the required data was not clear. Also the company was pushing us to release the aircraft for a sfp with fuel system problems without having in considerations any investigation or further troubleshooting to ensure a safe flight. Supplemental information from acn 740099: ATR send a letter that reads: as a note; for the feed low pressure light; there is really no set time for the lights to come on after engine shutdown. We need to clarify this matter for a future use of this MEL because; there have to be a set time for this indication to come on like the procedure read at the ATR manuals and the MEL manual. If ATR do a change to this procedure we are supposed to know. Also I think ATR send this letter instruction because our management put a lot of pressure. As a note this light is the indication for the pilot for a loss of fuel pressure at the engine. If there is a not set time ATR have to do something to repair that important indication. We talked to tech reps a and B and both of them agreed with us that with both problems reported there was a dangerous condition for aircraft to be flown to ZZZ2. At last tech rep send us an e-mail stating that we had to do a test to switches 13QA and 14QA and if test without faults we may send the aircraft ferry to ZZZ2.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR 72-212 ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR FLIGHT UNDER A 'SPECIAL FERRY PERMIT' (SFP) WITH FUEL SYSTEM DISCREPANCIES AND ONLY AN OPTS CHK AND NO ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FROM ATR.

Narrative: WE WENT TO ZZZ TO FIX AN ACFT WITH BOTH FEED LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS NOT COMING ON AFTER ENG SHUT DOWN; WITH BOTH FUEL PUMPS IN OFF POS. THE ACFT HAD THE R SYS FUEL PUMP RUN LIGHT ON MEL. AS OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENT THE FEED LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS MUST WORK NORMALLY WHEN HAVING SUCH MEL. NOTE: AFTER LONG TROUBLESHOOTING THE FEED LOW PRESSURE LIGHT WAS NOT COMING ON UNLESS YOU REMOVE THE PWR OF THE MOTIVE FLOW VALVES. I TOLD THE MGMNT THAT THERE WERE 2 WAYS TO BRING THE ACFT BACK TO ZZZ2. FIRST; FIXING THE ACFT WITH THE PROPER PARTS; INFO; AND TOOLS. SECOND; WITH A LEGAL DOCUMENT FROM ATR OR ENGINEERING DEPT STATING THE ACFT WAS IN SAFE CONDITIONS FOR A FERRY FLT WITH SUCH FUEL SYS PROBS. AFTER 3 DAYS OF CONVERSATION WITH COMPANY; AND ATR; THE DOCUMENT WAS NOT RECEIVED AND WE WERE FORCED TO SEND AN E-MAIL TO ATR TO FORCE THEM TO ANSWER OUR CONCERN IN WRITTEN. THEY (ATR) ASKED US TO MAKE SOME FINAL CHKS; AND AFTER FINDING POSITIVE THE CHKS; THEY GAVE THE APPROVAL FOR THE FERRY PERMIT. THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR THE SFP UNDER THE ATR RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE E-MAIL. FOR MY SURPRISE THE ACFT WAS RELEASED AT ZZZ2 WITH JUST AN OPT CHK WITH NO ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTS FROM ATR. IN MY OPINION THIS ACFT IS FLYING ILLEGALLY; IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE ATR MAINT MANUALS AND MEL BOOK. IN ALL MEL'S REQUIRES FEED LOW PRESSURE LIGHTS ALERT ON WITH ACFT ON GND; NETWORK ENERGIZED; FUEL PUMPS OFF; ENG FEED JET PUMP OFF; MOTIVE FLOW VALVE CLOSED; XFEED VALVE CLOSED; LP VALVE OPEN. THIS EVENT OCCURRED DUE TO THE LACK OF HELP AND INITIATIVE FROM ACR X ENGINEERING DEPT ESPECIALLY MR X. AS AN ENGINEERING DEPT THEY FAIL TO HELP AND GIVE SUPPORT TO THE MECHS WHERE THE REQUIRED DATA WAS NOT CLR. ALSO THE COMPANY WAS PUSHING US TO RELEASE THE ACFT FOR A SFP WITH FUEL SYS PROBS WITHOUT HAVING IN CONSIDERATIONS ANY INVESTIGATION OR FURTHER TROUBLESHOOTING TO ENSURE A SAFE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 740099: ATR SEND A LETTER THAT READS: AS A NOTE; FOR THE FEED LOW PRESSURE LIGHT; THERE IS REALLY NO SET TIME FOR THE LIGHTS TO COME ON AFTER ENG SHUTDOWN. WE NEED TO CLARIFY THIS MATTER FOR A FUTURE USE OF THIS MEL BECAUSE; THERE HAVE TO BE A SET TIME FOR THIS INDICATION TO COME ON LIKE THE PROC READ AT THE ATR MANUALS AND THE MEL MANUAL. IF ATR DO A CHANGE TO THIS PROC WE ARE SUPPOSED TO KNOW. ALSO I THINK ATR SEND THIS LETTER INSTRUCTION BECAUSE OUR MGMNT PUT A LOT OF PRESSURE. AS A NOTE THIS LIGHT IS THE INDICATION FOR THE PLT FOR A LOSS OF FUEL PRESSURE AT THE ENG. IF THERE IS A NOT SET TIME ATR HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO REPAIR THAT IMPORTANT INDICATION. WE TALKED TO TECH REPS A AND B AND BOTH OF THEM AGREED WITH US THAT WITH BOTH PROBS RPTED THERE WAS A DANGEROUS CONDITION FOR ACFT TO BE FLOWN TO ZZZ2. AT LAST TECH REP SEND US AN E-MAIL STATING THAT WE HAD TO DO A TEST TO SWITCHES 13QA AND 14QA AND IF TEST WITHOUT FAULTS WE MAY SEND THE ACFT FERRY TO ZZZ2.

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.