Unreliable electronic testing equipment.

Narrative:

Airlines test stand model used to test bus power control units and generator control units for aircraft. This test stand is unreliable in that it uses an old style card reader for its different test step inputs. This card reader is at times intermittently in error and causes erroneous information to be fed to test stand. Sometimes the mechanic operating tester does not notice this and can make a wrong adjust or miss a malfunction in unit under test. A second fault in this test stand is the frequency counter. It is intermittent and at times inoperative. Many testing steps rely on this (also inaccurate) counter to measure trip times of relays in until under test. Suggested remedy: have unit repaired correctly by mfr, or replace it. Too many generator control units and bus power control units go out of shop and mechanic doesn't know if until is correctly repaired or not. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: supervisory and management personnel appear to be less responsive than reporter desires. Reporter states that equipment was a problem prior to his assignment in department last fall. Problem has been brought to attention of his manager, but nothing has been done about it. Reporter further states that he feels that this maintenance practice is part of the operating policy of the reporter's supervisor and first level manager. Reporter will document problem to higher level manager.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UNRELIABLE ELECTRONIC TESTING EQUIPMENT.

Narrative: AIRLINES TEST STAND MODEL USED TO TEST BUS PWR CONTROL UNITS AND GENERATOR CTL UNITS FOR ACFT. THIS TEST STAND IS UNRELIABLE IN THAT IT USES AN OLD STYLE CARD READER FOR ITS DIFFERENT TEST STEP INPUTS. THIS CARD READER IS AT TIMES INTERMITTENTLY IN ERROR AND CAUSES ERRONEOUS INFO TO BE FED TO TEST STAND. SOMETIMES THE MECH OPERATING TESTER DOES NOT NOTICE THIS AND CAN MAKE A WRONG ADJUST OR MISS A MALFUNCTION IN UNIT UNDER TEST. A SECOND FAULT IN THIS TEST STAND IS THE FREQ COUNTER. IT IS INTERMITTENT AND AT TIMES INOP. MANY TESTING STEPS RELY ON THIS (ALSO INACCURATE) COUNTER TO MEASURE TRIP TIMES OF RELAYS IN UNTIL UNDER TEST. SUGGESTED REMEDY: HAVE UNIT REPAIRED CORRECTLY BY MFR, OR REPLACE IT. TOO MANY GENERATOR CONTROL UNITS AND BUS POWER CONTROL UNITS GO OUT OF SHOP AND MECH DOESN'T KNOW IF UNTIL IS CORRECTLY REPAIRED OR NOT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: SUPERVISORY AND MGMNT PERSONNEL APPEAR TO BE LESS RESPONSIVE THAN RPTR DESIRES. RPTR STATES THAT EQUIP WAS A PROB PRIOR TO HIS ASSIGNMENT IN DEPT LAST FALL. PROB HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO ATTN OF HIS MGR, BUT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE ABOUT IT. RPTR FURTHER STATES THAT HE FEELS THAT THIS MAINT PRACTICE IS PART OF THE OPERATING POLICY OF THE RPTR'S SUPVR AND FIRST LEVEL MGR. RPTR WILL DOCUMENT PROB TO HIGHER LEVEL MGR.

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.

Attributes
ACN	110244
Time
Date	198905
Day	Wed
Place
Locale Reference	airport : msp
State Reference	MN
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Any Unknown or Unlisted Aircraft Manufacturer
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	110244
Events
Anomaly	other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other