Aircraft maintenance discrepancy. Attempt made to cover up airline maintenance procedure error.

Attributes
ACN	276350
Time
Date	199406
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	276350
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence other other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On jun/xx/94 at XA20 am at the start of my shift, my lead mechanic was off, so I was acting lead. The night shift lead was also on duty. During our turn over to me from night shift, he showed me a panel from aircraft. He told me it is from c-chk. That the lead on duty at the hangar found the plate during clean-up (found it the night before) and wanted me to check the aircraft when it arrived at XC30 am same day. He also told me that maintenance control in msp had called and said that the aircraft would be in atl at XB30 local time and I should check for the missing panel and install if missing, but not to generate paperwork -- not to draw attention to the panel. When the aircraft arrived I was very busy. Almost forgot about it. But while on the phone to maintenance control in msp I saw the panel so asked maintenance control about panel. They said it must be installed and to keep quiet. Installed panel, it was missing. Took a delay of 5 mins, so when able to talk with my manager about delay, told him everything. He said we had to disclose. They shouldn't have wanted it kept quiet, so we did. He said paperwork needed to be generated for the panel installations so he got hangar to open a log and me to close on aircraft for the panel, and also had the aircraft reinspected and paperwork generated for the reinspection.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT MAINT DISCREPANCY. ATTEMPT MADE TO COVER UP AIRLINE MAINT PROC ERROR.

Narrative: ON JUN/XX/94 AT XA20 AM AT THE START OF MY SHIFT, MY LEAD MECH WAS OFF, SO I WAS ACTING LEAD. THE NIGHT SHIFT LEAD WAS ALSO ON DUTY. DURING OUR TURN OVER TO ME FROM NIGHT SHIFT, HE SHOWED ME A PANEL FROM ACFT. HE TOLD ME IT IS FROM C-CHK. THAT THE LEAD ON DUTY AT THE HANGAR FOUND THE PLATE DURING CLEAN-UP (FOUND IT THE NIGHT BEFORE) AND WANTED ME TO CHK THE ACFT WHEN IT ARRIVED AT XC30 AM SAME DAY. HE ALSO TOLD ME THAT MAINT CTL IN MSP HAD CALLED AND SAID THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE IN ATL AT XB30 LCL TIME AND I SHOULD CHK FOR THE MISSING PANEL AND INSTALL IF MISSING, BUT NOT TO GENERATE PAPERWORK -- NOT TO DRAW ATTN TO THE PANEL. WHEN THE ACFT ARRIVED I WAS VERY BUSY. ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT IT. BUT WHILE ON THE PHONE TO MAINT CTL IN MSP I SAW THE PANEL SO ASKED MAINT CTL ABOUT PANEL. THEY SAID IT MUST BE INSTALLED AND TO KEEP QUIET. INSTALLED PANEL, IT WAS MISSING. TOOK A DELAY OF 5 MINS, SO WHEN ABLE TO TALK WITH MY MGR ABOUT DELAY, TOLD HIM EVERYTHING. HE SAID WE HAD TO DISCLOSE. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE WANTED IT KEPT QUIET, SO WE DID. HE SAID PAPERWORK NEEDED TO BE GENERATED FOR THE PANEL INSTALLATIONS SO HE GOT HANGAR TO OPEN A LOG AND ME TO CLOSE ON ACFT FOR THE PANEL, AND ALSO HAD THE ACFT REINSPECTED AND PAPERWORK GENERATED FOR THE REINSPECTION.

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.