Technician reports on his carrier's maintenance control misinforming an MD80 contract mechanic to ma...

Attributes
ACN	783423
Time
Date	200804
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
ASRS Report	783423
Events
Anomaly	maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : non compliance with mel non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : non availability of parts performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Improper information given via phone to get airplane out of non maintenance base. Part not available. Gpm misused and presented wrong to move aircraft out of town; parts misnamed to fall into gpm category. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the use of nomenclature; or specific terminology; to name a part; drives what can be manufactured locally per their general maintenance manual. Reporter stated he couldn't remember whether the rudder or aileron trim degree position indicator was missing. But; either indicator is called a 'nameplate' in the ipc; not a 'decal.' the general manual did not cover nameplate; and the missing part was not considered a decal. Reporter stated the aircraft was at a non-maintenance station; and maintenance control told the contract maintenance mechanic the missing part was a decal. The contract maintenance mechanic fabricated a local repair for the position trim indicator on the center pedestal and signed-off the write-up as a serviceable repair. Reporter also stated the aircraft then flew a revenue flight; from the contract maintenance provider's station to his station and was immediately grounded by maintenance control; stating the aircraft required a 'nameplate' position indicator and must be installed prior to further flight. Reporter stated he feels the contract maintenance mechanic who signed-off the write-up was set-up and unknowingly released an aircraft that was not legal.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TECHNICIAN REPORTS ON HIS CARRIER'S MAINT CONTROL MISINFORMING AN MD80 CONTRACT MECHANIC TO MANUFACTURE A FLT CONTROL POSITION INDICATOR; UNDER THE HEADING OF 'DECAL' INSTEAD OF 'NAMEPLATE;' AS NOTED IN THE IPC.

Narrative: IMPROPER INFO GIVEN VIA PHONE TO GET AIRPLANE OUT OF NON MAINT BASE. PART NOT AVAILABLE. GPM MISUSED AND PRESENTED WRONG TO MOVE ACFT OUT OF TOWN; PARTS MISNAMED TO FALL INTO GPM CATEGORY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE USE OF NOMENCLATURE; OR SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY; TO NAME A PART; DRIVES WHAT CAN BE MANUFACTURED LOCALLY PER THEIR GENERAL MAINT MANUAL. REPORTER STATED HE COULDN'T REMEMBER WHETHER THE RUDDER OR AILERON TRIM DEGREE POSITION INDICATOR WAS MISSING. BUT; EITHER INDICATOR IS CALLED A 'NAMEPLATE' IN THE IPC; NOT A 'DECAL.' THE GENERAL MANUAL DID NOT COVER NAMEPLATE; AND THE MISSING PART WAS NOT CONSIDERED A DECAL. REPORTER STATED THE ACFT WAS AT A NON-MAINT STATION; AND MAINT CONTROL TOLD THE CONTRACT MAINT MECHANIC THE MISSING PART WAS A DECAL. THE CONTRACT MAINT MECHANIC FABRICATED A LOCAL REPAIR FOR THE POSITION TRIM INDICATOR ON THE CENTER PEDESTAL AND SIGNED-OFF THE WRITE-UP AS A SERVICEABLE REPAIR. REPORTER ALSO STATED THE ACFT THEN FLEW A REVENUE FLIGHT; FROM THE CONTRACT MAINT PROVIDER'S STATION TO HIS STATION AND WAS IMMEDIATELY GROUNDED BY MAINT CONTROL; STATING THE ACFT REQUIRED A 'NAMEPLATE' POSITION INDICATOR AND MUST BE INSTALLED PRIOR TO FURTHER FLIGHT. REPORTER STATED HE FEELS THE CONTRACT MAINT MECHANIC WHO SIGNED-OFF THE WRITE-UP WAS SET-UP AND UNKNOWINGLY RELEASED AN ACFT THAT WAS NOT LEGAL.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

Technician reports on his carrier's maintenance control misinforming an MD80 contract mechanic to manufacture a flight control position indicator; under the heading of 'decal' instead of 'nameplate;' as noted in the ipc.