Narrative:

Dec/08 at XA30 I was given assignment to work on aircraft X to change the right aft fuel boost pumps. I first collected my personal tools and proceeded to get the maintenance manual reference for the pump removal and replacement. I then went to the tool room to gather the listed tools and materials required for the job. The reading of the maintenance manual revealed that there was an airworthiness directive warning for the pumps to be installed. The airworthiness directive said that I should verify the shop inspection accomplished for chafing of the stator lead wire. I didn't fully understand the paperwork so I called maintenance controller and he helped to cross verify the airworthiness directive complied with on the 2 pumps that I had from stock. After getting off the phone with technical services; my crew chief aggressively demanded why I hadn't installed pumps in the aircraft already; and that he had previously indicated that the pumps were airworthiness directive compliant. I told him that I needed to verify for myself and understand the paperwork because it is my responsibility as an amt. He continued to aggressively insist that I should have 'just install the pumps and we'll check later to make sure they're the right ones!' after speaking with the crew chief; I went directly out to the aircraft; proceeded to remove the old pumps. The time given to complete this task was not sufficient; so I had to move on to the next assignment. I was in the process of verifying that the airworthiness directive compliance for the fuel pumps were accomplished per the paperwork; when I became intimidated and threatened with a letter of discipline by crew chief and manager. I went back to my previous assignment. This is not the first time that crew chief has threatened and tried to aggressively intimidate me into taking maintenance shortcuts (bypassing the maintenance manual). Both demeanors are confrontational and domineering (bullying). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he was trying to verify the wing aft fuel boost pumps that were to be changed on the B757-200; and had the airworthiness directive (ad) been accomplished. The only identifying marker was a stamped number on the boost pump metal identification plate that had to be within a range of reference serial numbers. The verification serial numbers on these fuel boost pumps were partially covered by safety wire; making a positive identification somewhat difficult. Reporter stated he has never removed or installed a wing aft fuel boost before and only wanted to verify the boost pumps he was going to install were compliant with the airworthiness directive.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MECHANIC REPORTS BEING INTIMIDATED BY A LEAD MECHANIC AND GIVEN DISCIPLINE BY THE MANAGER WHILE TRYING TO VERIFY THAT AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED ON TWO FUEL BOOST PUMPS PRIOR TO INSTALLING THEM ON A B757-200.

Narrative: DEC/08 AT XA30 I WAS GIVEN ASSIGNMENT TO WORK ON ACFT X TO CHANGE THE R AFT FUEL BOOST PUMPS. I FIRST COLLECTED MY PERSONAL TOOLS AND PROCEEDED TO GET THE MAINT MANUAL REF FOR THE PUMP REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT. I THEN WENT TO THE TOOL ROOM TO GATHER THE LISTED TOOLS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED FOR THE JOB. THE READING OF THE MAINT MANUAL REVEALED THAT THERE WAS AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE WARNING FOR THE PUMPS TO BE INSTALLED. THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE SAID THAT I SHOULD VERIFY THE SHOP INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHED FOR CHAFING OF THE STATOR LEAD WIRE. I DIDN'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE PAPERWORK SO I CALLED MAINT CTLR AND HE HELPED TO CROSS VERIFY THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE COMPLIED WITH ON THE 2 PUMPS THAT I HAD FROM STOCK. AFTER GETTING OFF THE PHONE WITH TECHNICAL SVCS; MY CREW CHIEF AGGRESSIVELY DEMANDED WHY I HADN'T INSTALLED PUMPS IN THE ACFT ALREADY; AND THAT HE HAD PREVIOUSLY INDICATED THAT THE PUMPS WERE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE COMPLIANT. I TOLD HIM THAT I NEEDED TO VERIFY FOR MYSELF AND UNDERSTAND THE PAPERWORK BECAUSE IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY AS AN AMT. HE CONTINUED TO AGGRESSIVELY INSIST THAT I SHOULD HAVE 'JUST INSTALL THE PUMPS AND WE'LL CHK LATER TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE THE RIGHT ONES!' AFTER SPEAKING WITH THE CREW CHIEF; I WENT DIRECTLY OUT TO THE ACFT; PROCEEDED TO REMOVE THE OLD PUMPS. THE TIME GIVEN TO COMPLETE THIS TASK WAS NOT SUFFICIENT; SO I HAD TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ASSIGNMENT. I WAS IN THE PROCESS OF VERIFYING THAT THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE COMPLIANCE FOR THE FUEL PUMPS WERE ACCOMPLISHED PER THE PAPERWORK; WHEN I BECAME INTIMIDATED AND THREATENED WITH A LETTER OF DISCIPLINE BY CREW CHIEF AND MGR. I WENT BACK TO MY PREVIOUS ASSIGNMENT. THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT CREW CHIEF HAS THREATENED AND TRIED TO AGGRESSIVELY INTIMIDATE ME INTO TAKING MAINT SHORTCUTS (BYPASSING THE MAINT MANUAL). BOTH DEMEANORS ARE CONFRONTATIONAL AND DOMINEERING (BULLYING). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE WAS TRYING TO VERIFY THE WING AFT FUEL BOOST PUMPS THAT WERE TO BE CHANGED ON THE B757-200; AND HAD THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE (AD) BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. THE ONLY IDENTIFYING MARKER WAS A STAMPED NUMBER ON THE BOOST PUMP METAL IDENTIFICATION PLATE THAT HAD TO BE WITHIN A RANGE OF REFERENCE SERIAL NUMBERS. THE VERIFICATION SERIAL NUMBERS ON THESE FUEL BOOST PUMPS WERE PARTIALLY COVERED BY SAFETY WIRE; MAKING A POSITIVE IDENTIFICATION SOMEWHAT DIFFICULT. REPORTER STATED HE HAS NEVER REMOVED OR INSTALLED A WING AFT FUEL BOOST BEFORE AND ONLY WANTED TO VERIFY THE BOOST PUMPS HE WAS GOING TO INSTALL WERE COMPLIANT WITH THE AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE.

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.