Flight crew member pressured into signing maintenance log at company out station.

Attributes
ACN	190342
Time
Date	199109
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gla
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 4700 flight time type : 1100
ASRS Report	190342
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted none taken : unable
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation other

Narrative:

I am a first officer on an large transport flying north atlantic charter operations. Our crew was to receive the aircraft from an arriving crew. The aircraft upon gate arrival, had blown an escape slide, inadvertently. Company maintenance control had asked of the flight crew if any of us were a and P mechanics. They proposed to have british maintenance do the slide repair and 1 of the crew do the inspection and sign off of the aircraft logbook. I am an a and P mechanic, although I have not been acting as such for the past 2 1/2 yrs (+/- 30 months). I was told that if I did not do the inspection and sign off that the company would dispatch a widebody transport to glasgow, scotland to 'rescue' the outbound flight. I have never attended any company maintenance training. Fearing for my job, I did do the inspection and sign off. I am not sure if any maintenance ground school is required or not, from company. I'm not sure if the type of operation I have been involved in would count towards the required 6 months in the past 24 or not. The problem was that there was no other company maintenance personnel immediately available. The company 'pressured' me with my job to do the signoff. I was 'assured' by maintenance control (company), that it was perfectly legal for me to do this inspection and sign off. Not being a and P current, I have my doubts. There needs to be a definite ruling on the legality of 'airborne maintenance' as company considers all of their flight engineer's as legal for aircraft maintenance release at non maintenance out stations. Most or all engineers at company are professional engineers having a and P certificates. While we are a and P mechanics, I cannot see how we were 'a and P' current. I do not want to have any enforcement action of my a and P certificate. I was terminated from company for expecting a bonus pay arrangement to be paid to be for assisting in this situation. I still don't know if this action is 'exactly legal'.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC MEMBER PRESSURED INTO SIGNING MAINT LOG AT COMPANY OUT STATION.

Narrative: I AM A FO ON AN LGT FLYING N ATLANTIC CHARTER OPS. OUR CREW WAS TO RECEIVE THE ACFT FROM AN ARRIVING CREW. THE ACFT UPON GATE ARR, HAD BLOWN AN ESCAPE SLIDE, INADVERTENTLY. COMPANY MAINT CTL HAD ASKED OF THE FLC IF ANY OF US WERE A AND P MECHS. THEY PROPOSED TO HAVE BRITISH MAINT DO THE SLIDE REPAIR AND 1 OF THE CREW DO THE INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF OF THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I AM AN A AND P MECH, ALTHOUGH I HAVE NOT BEEN ACTING AS SUCH FOR THE PAST 2 1/2 YRS (+/- 30 MONTHS). I WAS TOLD THAT IF I DID NOT DO THE INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF THAT THE COMPANY WOULD DISPATCH A WDB TO GLASGOW, SCOTLAND TO 'RESCUE' THE OUTBOUND FLT. I HAVE NEVER ATTENDED ANY COMPANY MAINT TRAINING. FEARING FOR MY JOB, I DID DO THE INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF. I AM NOT SURE IF ANY MAINT GND SCHOOL IS REQUIRED OR NOT, FROM COMPANY. I'M NOT SURE IF THE TYPE OF OP I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN WOULD COUNT TOWARDS THE REQUIRED 6 MONTHS IN THE PAST 24 OR NOT. THE PROBLEM WAS THAT THERE WAS NO OTHER COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL IMMEDIATELY AVAILABLE. THE COMPANY 'PRESSURED' ME WITH MY JOB TO DO THE SIGNOFF. I WAS 'ASSURED' BY MAINT CTL (COMPANY), THAT IT WAS PERFECTLY LEGAL FOR ME TO DO THIS INSPECTION AND SIGN OFF. NOT BEING A AND P CURRENT, I HAVE MY DOUBTS. THERE NEEDS TO BE A DEFINITE RULING ON THE LEGALITY OF 'AIRBORNE MAINT' AS COMPANY CONSIDERS ALL OF THEIR FE'S AS LEGAL FOR ACFT MAINT RELEASE AT NON MAINT OUT STATIONS. MOST OR ALL ENGINEERS AT COMPANY ARE PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS HAVING A AND P CERTIFICATES. WHILE WE ARE A AND P MECHS, I CANNOT SEE HOW WE WERE 'A AND P' CURRENT. I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE ANY ENFORCEMENT ACTION OF MY A AND P CERTIFICATE. I WAS TERMINATED FROM COMPANY FOR EXPECTING A BONUS PAY ARRANGEMENT TO BE PAID TO BE FOR ASSISTING IN THIS SITUATION. I STILL DON'T KNOW IF THIS ACTION IS 'EXACTLY LEGAL'.

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.