Narrative:

Arrived in atl at XX32L. A daily service inspection was assigned per company routing (reference maintenance manual and engine gen manual). Through a review of the logbook, the last daily service inspection was accomplished on the previous day. No inspection had been accomplished to this point on this day. Knowing that an inspection was due, my supervisor (a line maintenance foreman) cancelled the inspection. The airplane left the station and no inspection was accomplished until the following day. My question concerns these maintenance foreman. Who gives the authority to override the maintenance manual? Since I cannot question for fear of retaliation or dismissal by confronting the issue to my immediate supervisor, this is an area of safety which concerns me and affects the flying public. Supervisors are not concerned with inspections or safety as long as the aircraft leaves on time. This is not an isolated incident, but one of many that happen daily throughout the company system. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: the inspection referred to is a general walk around including cockpit and cabin emergency items. Reporter says the flight crews do not have time to make an inspection and the FAA approved procedure calls for maintenance to make 1 inspection each calendar day. The reporter has taken his complaint to the FAA, but they are reluctant to act on this issue. Reporter also cites current union contract negotiations as a factor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPLAINT ABOUT COMPANY MAINTENANCE SUPVR WAIVING REQUIRED WALKAROUND INSPECTION TO ACCOMODATE A SCHEDULED DEP.

Narrative: ARRIVED IN ATL AT XX32L. A DAILY SVC INSPECTION WAS ASSIGNED PER COMPANY ROUTING (REF MAINT MANUAL AND ENG GEN MANUAL). THROUGH A REVIEW OF THE LOGBOOK, THE LAST DAILY SVC INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE PREVIOUS DAY. NO INSPECTION HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED TO THIS POINT ON THIS DAY. KNOWING THAT AN INSPECTION WAS DUE, MY SUPVR (A LINE MAINT FOREMAN) CANCELLED THE INSPECTION. THE AIRPLANE LEFT THE STATION AND NO INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED UNTIL THE FOLLOWING DAY. MY QUESTION CONCERNS THESE MAINT FOREMAN. WHO GIVES THE AUTHORITY TO OVERRIDE THE MAINT MANUAL? SINCE I CANNOT QUESTION FOR FEAR OF RETALIATION OR DISMISSAL BY CONFRONTING THE ISSUE TO MY IMMEDIATE SUPVR, THIS IS AN AREA OF SAFETY WHICH CONCERNS ME AND AFFECTS THE FLYING PUBLIC. SUPVRS ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH INSPECTIONS OR SAFETY AS LONG AS THE ACFT LEAVES ON TIME. THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT, BUT ONE OF MANY THAT HAPPEN DAILY THROUGHOUT THE COMPANY SYS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: THE INSPECTION REFERRED TO IS A GENERAL WALK AROUND INCLUDING COCKPIT AND CABIN EMER ITEMS. RPTR SAYS THE FLT CREWS DO NOT HAVE TIME TO MAKE AN INSPECTION AND THE FAA APPROVED PROC CALLS FOR MAINT TO MAKE 1 INSPECTION EACH CALENDAR DAY. THE RPTR HAS TAKEN HIS COMPLAINT TO THE FAA, BUT THEY ARE RELUCTANT TO ACT ON THIS ISSUE. RPTR ALSO CITES CURRENT UNION CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS AS A FACTOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.