Narrative:

I am self-reporting to cover what has been called a need for an out of service event which was accomplished during in service time (i.e. MEL violation to undocumented maintenance). I was called into my base in order to defer (MEL) the bell 206 rotor brake system. I followed the MEL instructions and inspected the system and safetied the rotor brake handle in the up position. The aircraft had been called out of service for maintenance for this MEL and after my inspection and safetying the handle and placing inoperative sticker; the aircraft was returned to service with MEL active. I proceeded home for the night. I was then called by my lead mechanic and asked to return to the base to verify that the servicing of the system was in fact okay to avoid an MEL that could be erroneous. I returned to the base. I was told by the pilot that if I cut the safety on the handle I would be in violation of the MEL; so he thought. I called my lead mechanic and relayed this info to see if I should take the aircraft back out of service. It was explained to me this was not needed as we were not removing the MEL and that the safety was a simple precaution for after flight shutdown which I would be able to assure that the safety was back in place before the pilot got in the helicopter and he was to be there with me besides this fact. Servicing has been called into question without being out of service; but has not in the past been a requirement to need to take the aircraft out of service. I cut the safety on the rotor brake handle and serviced the reservoir for the system and insured there was no air in the system by slightly opening the service port on the rotor brake caliper after pumping the rotor brake handle for pressure. No air was present and the reservoir was full and the rotor brake was still in an unchanged and undisturbed state rendering the MEL still unchanged and the safety was reapplied to the rotor brake handle and verified by the evening pilot. I am submitting this [report] because I am not certain that a violation occurred under my companies MEL required procedures. I acted according to instructions from my supervision and also acted in what I believe to be a reasonable manner relating to the call to follow this order. I do not believe I intentionally did anything of a violation nature and not sure if a violation even occurred.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Maintenance Technician reported that he serviced the rotor brake system on a Bell 206 after it was deferred.

Narrative: I am self-Reporting to cover what has been called a need for an Out of Service event which was accomplished during In Service time (I.E. MEL Violation to Undocumented Maintenance). I was called into my base in order to defer (MEL) the Bell 206 rotor brake system. I followed the MEL instructions and inspected the system and safetied the rotor brake handle in the up position. The aircraft had been called out of service for maintenance for this MEL and after my inspection and safetying the handle and placing INOP sticker; the aircraft was returned to service with MEL active. I proceeded home for the night. I was then called by my lead mechanic and asked to return to the base to verify that the servicing of the system was in fact okay to avoid an MEL that could be erroneous. I returned to the base. I was told by the pilot that if I cut the safety on the handle I would be in violation of the MEL; so he thought. I called my lead mechanic and relayed this info to see if I should take the aircraft back out of service. It was explained to me this was not needed as we were not removing the MEL and that the safety was a simple precaution for after flight shutdown which I would be able to assure that the safety was back in place before the pilot got in the helicopter and he was to be there with me besides this fact. Servicing has been called into question without being out of service; but has not in the past been a requirement to need to take the aircraft out of service. I cut the safety on the rotor brake handle and serviced the reservoir for the system and insured there was no air in the system by slightly opening the service port on the rotor brake caliper after pumping the rotor brake handle for pressure. No air was present and the reservoir was full and the rotor brake was still in an unchanged and undisturbed state rendering the MEL still unchanged and the safety was reapplied to the rotor brake handle and verified by the evening pilot. I am submitting this [report] because I am not certain that a violation occurred under my companies MEL required procedures. I acted according to instructions from my supervision and also acted in what I believe to be a reasonable manner relating to the call to follow this order. I do not believe I intentionally did anything of a violation nature and not sure if a violation even occurred.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site 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.