Narrative:

I was asked by my foreman to investigate a possible oil leak in the tailpipe of the #1 engine. While looking in the tailpipe I found several cracks at the bases of the exhaust struts and the strut boss. I informed the foreman of where the cracks were and the lengths. We then looked in the engine maintenance manual for the limits. One of the cracks was 4' long and according to the manual needed to be repaired immediately. The maintenance manual stated that the cracks should be stop-drilled and welded. At this time the foreman called our duty control center in dallas and informed them of the findings. I was then informed that our power plant engineer said that a legal repair would be to stop drill the cracks and that they did not need to be welded. The foreman then instructed me to stop drill the cracks. I told him that I didn't feel good about just drilling the cracks. He got a little bit upset with me and said not to worry about anything because he wasn't going to write up any paperwork on it. I felt a little bit threatened by this because the company recently tried to fire someone for insubordination. I don't know if just drilling the cracks was actually a legal repair or not. According to the manual it isn't. According to the engineer it is. I am unsure of what happened in the morning. I do know that the aircraft went on a revenue flight in the morning to lax and back. When it returned the engine was changed. I don't think that the engineer should have asked us to do something besides what the manual says, and I wish that my foreman hadn't made me do it. The paperwork wasn't done because the foreman was trying to protect himself and everyone involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC COERCED INTO PERFORMING AN ILLEGAL ACFT ENGINE REPAIR.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED BY MY FOREMAN TO INVESTIGATE A POSSIBLE OIL LEAK IN THE TAILPIPE OF THE #1 ENG. WHILE LOOKING IN THE TAILPIPE I FOUND SEVERAL CRACKS AT THE BASES OF THE EXHAUST STRUTS AND THE STRUT BOSS. I INFORMED THE FOREMAN OF WHERE THE CRACKS WERE AND THE LENGTHS. WE THEN LOOKED IN THE ENG MAINT MANUAL FOR THE LIMITS. ONE OF THE CRACKS WAS 4' LONG AND ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED IMMEDIATELY. THE MAINT MANUAL STATED THAT THE CRACKS SHOULD BE STOP-DRILLED AND WELDED. AT THIS TIME THE FOREMAN CALLED OUR DUTY CTL CENTER IN DALLAS AND INFORMED THEM OF THE FINDINGS. I WAS THEN INFORMED THAT OUR PWR PLANT ENGINEER SAID THAT A LEGAL REPAIR WOULD BE TO STOP DRILL THE CRACKS AND THAT THEY DID NOT NEED TO BE WELDED. THE FOREMAN THEN INSTRUCTED ME TO STOP DRILL THE CRACKS. I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T FEEL GOOD ABOUT JUST DRILLING THE CRACKS. HE GOT A LITTLE BIT UPSET WITH ME AND SAID NOT TO WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING BECAUSE HE WASN'T GOING TO WRITE UP ANY PAPERWORK ON IT. I FELT A LITTLE BIT THREATENED BY THIS BECAUSE THE COMPANY RECENTLY TRIED TO FIRE SOMEONE FOR INSUBORDINATION. I DON'T KNOW IF JUST DRILLING THE CRACKS WAS ACTUALLY A LEGAL REPAIR OR NOT. ACCORDING TO THE MANUAL IT ISN'T. ACCORDING TO THE ENGINEER IT IS. I AM UNSURE OF WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MORNING. I DO KNOW THAT THE ACFT WENT ON A REVENUE FLT IN THE MORNING TO LAX AND BACK. WHEN IT RETURNED THE ENG WAS CHANGED. I DON'T THINK THAT THE ENGINEER SHOULD HAVE ASKED US TO DO SOMETHING BESIDES WHAT THE MANUAL SAYS, AND I WISH THAT MY FOREMAN HADN'T MADE ME DO IT. THE PAPERWORK WASN'T DONE BECAUSE THE FOREMAN WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HIMSELF AND EVERYONE INVOLVED.

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.