FBO mechanic told by employer to reinstall a worn aileron cable until a new part could be obtained.

Attributes
ACN	143832
Time
Date	199004
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ict
State Reference	KS
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	general aviation : instructional
Make Model Name	Small Transport, Low Wing, 2 Recip Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	Other
Function	other personnel
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	143832
Person 2
Affiliation	Other
Function	oversight : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Pilot leased small transport from FBO where I am employed. Pilot squawked aircraft rolled wrong direction when aileron trim tab was used. Aileron trim system was checked and found to be in proper operating condition. Same pilot leased same aircraft again squawked same discrepancy. FAA FSDO was notified. I went on test flight with FAA inspector and pilot filing complaint. Aircraft was found to be flying the tab (ailerons hanging up in neutral). Checked entire aileron system and found left hand aileron cable worn into surface deice plumbing, right hand aileron control column to wing cable internally worn. Also found aileron autoplt servo cable drum worn. Surface deice plumbing was replaced and cleared of left hand aileron cable. Received new right hand aileron cable from aircraft mfr, once installed found new cable approximately 2' too short. Another new cable cannot be obtained at this time. Vice president-general manager of FBO decided and I was told to reinstall worn cable until another new cable can be obtained and installed. Aircraft was returned to service by FBO. Aircraft is used under part 135. I reinstalled worn cable against my will and judgement.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FBO MECHANIC TOLD BY EMPLOYER TO REINSTALL A WORN AILERON CABLE UNTIL A NEW PART COULD BE OBTAINED.

Narrative: PLT LEASED SMT FROM FBO WHERE I AM EMPLOYED. PLT SQUAWKED ACFT ROLLED WRONG DIRECTION WHEN AILERON TRIM TAB WAS USED. AILERON TRIM SYS WAS CHKED AND FOUND TO BE IN PROPER OPERATING CONDITION. SAME PLT LEASED SAME ACFT AGAIN SQUAWKED SAME DISCREPANCY. FAA FSDO WAS NOTIFIED. I WENT ON TEST FLT WITH FAA INSPECTOR AND PLT FILING COMPLAINT. ACFT WAS FOUND TO BE FLYING THE TAB (AILERONS HANGING UP IN NEUTRAL). CHKED ENTIRE AILERON SYS AND FOUND L HAND AILERON CABLE WORN INTO SURFACE DEICE PLUMBING, R HAND AILERON CONTROL COLUMN TO WING CABLE INTERNALLY WORN. ALSO FOUND AILERON AUTOPLT SERVO CABLE DRUM WORN. SURFACE DEICE PLUMBING WAS REPLACED AND CLRED OF L HAND AILERON CABLE. RECEIVED NEW R HAND AILERON CABLE FROM ACFT MFR, ONCE INSTALLED FOUND NEW CABLE APPROX 2' TOO SHORT. ANOTHER NEW CABLE CANNOT BE OBTAINED AT THIS TIME. VICE PRESIDENT-GENERAL MGR OF FBO DECIDED AND I WAS TOLD TO REINSTALL WORN CABLE UNTIL ANOTHER NEW CABLE CAN BE OBTAINED AND INSTALLED. ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC BY FBO. ACFT IS USED UNDER PART 135. I REINSTALLED WORN CABLE AGAINST MY WILL AND JUDGEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 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.