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Airline mechanic suspected of not properly installing bolts on an engine repair for a widebody transport air carrier aircraft.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 248154 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199304 |
| Day | Fri |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : sfo |
| State Reference | CA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Widebody, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 248154 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | observation : air carrier inspector |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | faa : investigated other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
The engine (serial number) was removed from ('north' number aircraft) #3 on apr/fri/93 because of metal in the tailpipe and shingled stage 5 low pressure turbine blades. During disassembly, the low pressure turbine pressure balance was missing bolts. I signed for installing the pressure balance seal. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the FAA had closed the investigation with regard to his involvement in this matter since it revealed that he could not have omitted, or not properly tightened the bolts in question since there are several procedures by others that would have revealed a discrepancy. The FAA now suspects bogus hardware parts since the bolts must have disintegrated in the engine. However, the engine was removed for other reasons. This was found as another problem during engine teardown. Company engineering helped prove that the missing bolts were not the reporter's responsibility. The FAA is questioning the integrity of the nuts and bolts of the supplier!
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AIRLINE MECH SUSPECTED OF NOT PROPERLY INSTALLING BOLTS ON AN ENG REPAIR FOR A WDB ACR ACFT.
Narrative: THE ENG (SERIAL NUMBER) WAS REMOVED FROM ('N' NUMBER ACFT) #3 ON APR/FRI/93 BECAUSE OF METAL IN THE TAILPIPE AND SHINGLED STAGE 5 LOW PRESSURE TURBINE BLADES. DURING DISASSEMBLY, THE LOW PRESSURE TURBINE PRESSURE BAL WAS MISSING BOLTS. I SIGNED FOR INSTALLING THE PRESSURE BAL SEAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE FAA HAD CLOSED THE INVESTIGATION WITH REGARD TO HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THIS MATTER SINCE IT REVEALED THAT HE COULD NOT HAVE OMITTED, OR NOT PROPERLY TIGHTENED THE BOLTS IN QUESTION SINCE THERE ARE SEVERAL PROCS BY OTHERS THAT WOULD HAVE REVEALED A DISCREPANCY. THE FAA NOW SUSPECTS BOGUS HARDWARE PARTS SINCE THE BOLTS MUST HAVE DISINTEGRATED IN THE ENG. HOWEVER, THE ENG WAS REMOVED FOR OTHER REASONS. THIS WAS FOUND AS ANOTHER PROB DURING ENG TEARDOWN. COMPANY ENGINEERING HELPED PROVE THAT THE MISSING BOLTS WERE NOT THE RPTR'S RESPONSIBILITY. THE FAA IS QUESTIONING THE INTEGRITY OF THE NUTS AND BOLTS OF THE SUPPLIER!
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.