Narrative:

Jun/xa/08 at approximately XA00; I noticed 2 people walking to aircraft X on gate X. These people had the uniforms of company Y maintenance and one of them carried what appeared to be an aircraft electronic part onto the aircraft. While I was completing the predep check; the gate power failed and I had to recycle the ground power to supply power to the aircraft. When I exited the aircraft; I noticed the 2 company Y people working on a panel that appeared to be an interface unit for the passenger system in the mid 2 galley area. I finished the predep check and went to finish my paperwork and computer entries. Prior to signing for the check; I reviewed paperwork and noticed no references to passenger entertainment system being worked. I went back to the aircraft and asked the 2 people what they were doing. One of the company Y employees told me that they changed a (something) unit and needed to check it out (my words; not his). I said that; you are still working on the item; and he replied yes. I said that I did not see a write-up; he replied that they have just swapped out the unit and that it did not fix their problem; and that the old unit was replaced. I said that they need a write-up whenever work is done on the aircraft because a write-up lets the releasing mechanic know that maintenance is still in progress on the aircraft and not to release it for flight. I had almost released the aircraft for flight and would not have known work was still in progress without a write-up. The company Y employee replied that he would make a write-up.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MECHANIC QUESTIONS TWO OUTSIDE MAINT CONTRACTORS WHO WERE ON A B747-400 WORKING THE CABIN INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM AND SWAPPING UNITS WITHOUT ANY PAPERWORK OR DOCUMENTATION.

Narrative: JUN/XA/08 AT APPROX XA00; I NOTICED 2 PEOPLE WALKING TO ACFT X ON GATE X. THESE PEOPLE HAD THE UNIFORMS OF COMPANY Y MAINT AND ONE OF THEM CARRIED WHAT APPEARED TO BE AN ACFT ELECTRONIC PART ONTO THE ACFT. WHILE I WAS COMPLETING THE PREDEP CHK; THE GATE PWR FAILED AND I HAD TO RECYCLE THE GND PWR TO SUPPLY PWR TO THE ACFT. WHEN I EXITED THE ACFT; I NOTICED THE 2 COMPANY Y PEOPLE WORKING ON A PANEL THAT APPEARED TO BE AN INTERFACE UNIT FOR THE PAX SYS IN THE MID 2 GALLEY AREA. I FINISHED THE PREDEP CHK AND WENT TO FINISH MY PAPERWORK AND COMPUTER ENTRIES. PRIOR TO SIGNING FOR THE CHK; I REVIEWED PAPERWORK AND NOTICED NO REFS TO PAX ENTERTAINMENT SYS BEING WORKED. I WENT BACK TO THE ACFT AND ASKED THE 2 PEOPLE WHAT THEY WERE DOING. ONE OF THE COMPANY Y EMPLOYEES TOLD ME THAT THEY CHANGED A (SOMETHING) UNIT AND NEEDED TO CHK IT OUT (MY WORDS; NOT HIS). I SAID THAT; YOU ARE STILL WORKING ON THE ITEM; AND HE REPLIED YES. I SAID THAT I DID NOT SEE A WRITE-UP; HE REPLIED THAT THEY HAVE JUST SWAPPED OUT THE UNIT AND THAT IT DID NOT FIX THEIR PROB; AND THAT THE OLD UNIT WAS REPLACED. I SAID THAT THEY NEED A WRITE-UP WHENEVER WORK IS DONE ON THE ACFT BECAUSE A WRITE-UP LETS THE RELEASING MECH KNOW THAT MAINT IS STILL IN PROGRESS ON THE ACFT AND NOT TO RELEASE IT FOR FLT. I HAD ALMOST RELEASED THE ACFT FOR FLT AND WOULD NOT HAVE KNOWN WORK WAS STILL IN PROGRESS WITHOUT A WRITE-UP. THE COMPANY Y EMPLOYEE REPLIED THAT HE WOULD MAKE A WRITE-UP.

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.