Narrative:

The light transport landing gear maintenance records for this aircraft were being reviewed for completeness when it was discovered that a component did not have a maintenance release tag. The owner of the company providing this contract service to this operator (my boss) was contacted by a fellow maintenance technician, whereby he was informed to come up with something based on what was there at hand, or we all knew what would happen (loss of jobs). This person, the boss, said he would find the tag and send it to us, but we were to make do in the meantime. Though not the person who altered an existing tag and made a photocopy, I did not stop this person from doing such, except to say 'I don't know about this,' thereby echoing my uneasiness about this situation. We left this project a few days later and I don't know if the boss sent the actual maintenance release tag to these people. This was done before the FAA-pmi saw the records prior to placing it on the certificate. The life limit of this component was not exceeded as it had come from a ship set of gear that were removed from a low time aircraft reduced to spares. Its maintenance release tag was not located in the light transport file with the other gear components. This situation can be prevented by maintenance personnel only. They (myself included) must research and not be threatened/intimidated by anyone, including superiors, into believing 'it will be taken care of.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMPANY MAINT INSTALLED AN ACFT PART WITHOUT REQUIRED APPROVAL TAG INDICATING THE PART MET APPROVED SVC STANDARDS.

Narrative: THE LTT LNDG GEAR MAINT RECORDS FOR THIS ACFT WERE BEING REVIEWED FOR COMPLETENESS WHEN IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A COMPONENT DID NOT HAVE A MAINT RELEASE TAG. THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY PROVIDING THIS CONTRACT SVC TO THIS OPERATOR (MY BOSS) WAS CONTACTED BY A FELLOW MAINT TECHNICIAN, WHEREBY HE WAS INFORMED TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING BASED ON WHAT WAS THERE AT HAND, OR WE ALL KNEW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN (LOSS OF JOBS). THIS PERSON, THE BOSS, SAID HE WOULD FIND THE TAG AND SEND IT TO US, BUT WE WERE TO MAKE DO IN THE MEANTIME. THOUGH NOT THE PERSON WHO ALTERED AN EXISTING TAG AND MADE A PHOTOCOPY, I DID NOT STOP THIS PERSON FROM DOING SUCH, EXCEPT TO SAY 'I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS,' THEREBY ECHOING MY UNEASINESS ABOUT THIS SIT. WE LEFT THIS PROJECT A FEW DAYS LATER AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE BOSS SENT THE ACTUAL MAINT RELEASE TAG TO THESE PEOPLE. THIS WAS DONE BEFORE THE FAA-PMI SAW THE RECORDS PRIOR TO PLACING IT ON THE CERTIFICATE. THE LIFE LIMIT OF THIS COMPONENT WAS NOT EXCEEDED AS IT HAD COME FROM A SHIP SET OF GEAR THAT WERE REMOVED FROM A LOW TIME ACFT REDUCED TO SPARES. ITS MAINT RELEASE TAG WAS NOT LOCATED IN THE LTT FILE WITH THE OTHER GEAR COMPONENTS. THIS SIT CAN BE PREVENTED BY MAINT PERSONNEL ONLY. THEY (MYSELF INCLUDED) MUST RESEARCH AND NOT BE THREATENED/INTIMIDATED BY ANYONE, INCLUDING SUPERIORS, INTO BELIEVING 'IT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF.'

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.