Narrative:

This report concerns a piece of test equipment in the instrument shop at airlines maintenance shop. Unit in question is meter calibrator. This unit puts out a voltage that is used to check the accuracy of cockpit indicators. It is also used to check the accuracy of other pieces of test equipment in the instrument shop. The problem as I see it: mechanical pots on the front of the unit with corresponding numbers for voltages read through open windows adjacent to the potentiometer. There is no readout on the unit to say that what is dialed in on the pots is what the unit is in fact putting out. I have a DC9 APU egt indicator that is 150 degrees off because this test unit is not putting out the voltage I have dialed in. This problem is intermittent, making it difficult to know what is at fault, the test unit or the item being tested. Problem is due to age and wear and tear. Solution as I see it: replace this test unit with one that also contains a readout confirming that the proper voltage is in fact being put out to the item being tested. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter exhibited frustration over the fact that this piece of test equipment keeps coming back into the shop, still not working properly. His second complaint was that there was no way to tell if the equipment was working properly and he could not tell if the tester was ever putting out the level of power dialed in the mechanical window. This analyst counseled the reporter and suggested that the fastest and best way to handle this would be to drop a report to the air carrier's director of flight safety. Reporter agreed with this course of action and said he would follow through.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHS RPT ON IMPROPERLY OPERATING CALIBRATOR USED IN SCHEDULED MAINT ACTIVITY.

Narrative: THIS RPT CONCERNS A PIECE OF TEST EQUIP IN THE INST SHOP AT AIRLINES MAINT SHOP. UNIT IN QUESTION IS METER CALIBRATOR. THIS UNIT PUTS OUT A VOLTAGE THAT IS USED TO CHK THE ACCURACY OF COCKPIT INDICATORS. IT IS ALSO USED TO CHK THE ACCURACY OF OTHER PIECES OF TEST EQUIP IN THE INST SHOP. THE PROB AS I SEE IT: MECHANICAL POTS ON THE FRONT OF THE UNIT WITH CORRESPONDING NUMBERS FOR VOLTAGES READ THROUGH OPEN WINDOWS ADJACENT TO THE POTENTIOMETER. THERE IS NO READOUT ON THE UNIT TO SAY THAT WHAT IS DIALED IN ON THE POTS IS WHAT THE UNIT IS IN FACT PUTTING OUT. I HAVE A DC9 APU EGT INDICATOR THAT IS 150 DEGS OFF BECAUSE THIS TEST UNIT IS NOT PUTTING OUT THE VOLTAGE I HAVE DIALED IN. THIS PROB IS INTERMITTENT, MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO KNOW WHAT IS AT FAULT, THE TEST UNIT OR THE ITEM BEING TESTED. PROB IS DUE TO AGE AND WEAR AND TEAR. SOLUTION AS I SEE IT: REPLACE THIS TEST UNIT WITH ONE THAT ALSO CONTAINS A READOUT CONFIRMING THAT THE PROPER VOLTAGE IS IN FACT BEING PUT OUT TO THE ITEM BEING TESTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR EXHIBITED FRUSTRATION OVER THE FACT THAT THIS PIECE OF TEST EQUIP KEEPS COMING BACK INTO THE SHOP, STILL NOT WORKING PROPERLY. HIS SECOND COMPLAINT WAS THAT THERE WAS NO WAY TO TELL IF THE EQUIP WAS WORKING PROPERLY AND HE COULD NOT TELL IF THE TESTER WAS EVER PUTTING OUT THE LEVEL OF PWR DIALED IN THE MECHANICAL WINDOW. THIS ANALYST COUNSELED THE RPTR AND SUGGESTED THAT THE FASTEST AND BEST WAY TO HANDLE THIS WOULD BE TO DROP A RPT TO THE ACR'S DIRECTOR OF FLT SAFETY. RPTR AGREED WITH THIS COURSE OF ACTION AND SAID HE WOULD FOLLOW THROUGH.

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.