Narrative:

A part within the engine was discovered to have flown over its finite life. Upon discovering this fact through routine review of the aircraft records we initiated steps to contact the affected aircraft. Because the aircraft was operating in a remote area regular communication could not be made, we were only able to get word to the crew at approximately 3 O'clock in the afternoon that the aircraft must be grounded due to over flying the disk time. The free turbine module of the engine was removed. A serviceable component was installed and flight operations resumed on the next scheduled flight day. The problem arose due to the record keeping required for the individual parts within the aircraft components. The manufacturers log card system is difficult to use for the field mechanic they were relying on the component overhaul time as being the removable time for the component rather than a finite life part within the component being the removal cause. Corrective actions instituted are to develop a new component log card that will have an area that indicate the specific hours on the component when a finite life part within that component must be removed. In addition to that, during each overhaul or repair the overhaul and quality control department will analyze the finite lives on each of the parts within a component assembly to determine if any part requires removal prior to the next overhaul. If that is the case, these parts will be listed on the front page of the log card identing this fact and the computer printout will be changed to reflect the specific part finite life rather than the assembly/component overhaul time as being the time of removal.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PART WITHIN A COMPONENT ASSEMBLY REACHED ITS FINITE LIFE WITHOUT BEING NOTED. FLEW PAST FINITE LIFE.

Narrative: A PART WITHIN THE ENG WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE FLOWN OVER ITS FINITE LIFE. UPON DISCOVERING THIS FACT THROUGH ROUTINE REVIEW OF THE ACFT RECORDS WE INITIATED STEPS TO CONTACT THE AFFECTED ACFT. BECAUSE THE ACFT WAS OPERATING IN A REMOTE AREA REGULAR COM COULD NOT BE MADE, WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO GET WORD TO THE CREW AT APPROX 3 O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON THAT THE ACFT MUST BE GNDED DUE TO OVER FLYING THE DISK TIME. THE FREE TURBINE MODULE OF THE ENG WAS REMOVED. A SERVICEABLE COMPONENT WAS INSTALLED AND FLT OPS RESUMED ON THE NEXT SCHEDULED FLT DAY. THE PROB AROSE DUE TO THE RECORD KEEPING REQUIRED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL PARTS WITHIN THE ACFT COMPONENTS. THE MANUFACTURERS LOG CARD SYSTEM IS DIFFICULT TO USE FOR THE FIELD MECH THEY WERE RELYING ON THE COMPONENT OVERHAUL TIME AS BEING THE REMOVABLE TIME FOR THE COMPONENT RATHER THAN A FINITE LIFE PART WITHIN THE COMPONENT BEING THE REMOVAL CAUSE. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS INSTITUTED ARE TO DEVELOP A NEW COMPONENT LOG CARD THAT WILL HAVE AN AREA THAT INDICATE THE SPECIFIC HRS ON THE COMPONENT WHEN A FINITE LIFE PART WITHIN THAT COMPONENT MUST BE REMOVED. IN ADDITION TO THAT, DURING EACH OVERHAUL OR REPAIR THE OVERHAUL AND QUALITY CTL DEPT WILL ANALYZE THE FINITE LIVES ON EACH OF THE PARTS WITHIN A COMPONENT ASSEMBLY TO DETERMINE IF ANY PART REQUIRES REMOVAL PRIOR TO THE NEXT OVERHAUL. IF THAT IS THE CASE, THESE PARTS WILL BE LISTED ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE LOG CARD IDENTING THIS FACT AND THE COMPUTER PRINTOUT WILL BE CHANGED TO REFLECT THE SPECIFIC PART FINITE LIFE RATHER THAN THE ASSEMBLY/COMPONENT OVERHAUL TIME AS BEING THE TIME OF REMOVAL.

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.