Narrative:

Low compression on a reciprocating engine. Aircraft type 402A. Engine #2 (right side) compression being accomplished during a 50 hour inspection in accordance with cessna maintenance manual D7777-18-13, revised mar/xx/90. Inspection checklist 50- 100-200 hour/annual and ea-AC 43.13-1A and 2A. I accomplished the runup on this aircraft both engines were run at 1500 RPM for 10-15 mins. Engine cylinder temperatures around 300 degrees (in the green band). All engine other perimeters were also in the green band. Compression readings are for cylinders #4 and #6. #4:38/80 and #6:52/80. The compression check was also conducted with soap and water sprayed on the outside of the cylinders to check for evidence of external cracking into internal portion of the cylinders. The aircraft engine was replaced with an overhauled engine. This compression was accomplished on the overhauled engine now installed on this aircraft. Operating hours (143.7). Note: this is not the first time for this particular cylinder (#4) to show this low of a compression. And it was reported to the director of maintenance at the time of the instance. I contacted the director of maintenance at home and was unable to reach him. I then called the next supervisor in the chain of command and informed him of the situation and that this was unsatisfactory. He advised me at the time of the contact that they did not have another aircraft to cover the flight at XG00, despite the low compression. At around XD15 the director of maintenance showed up at the hangar. At this time I informed him of the condition of the inspection and the compression check for the right (#2) engine. Compression on #4 and #6. He informed me that he would contact the president/ceo and inform him of the condition of the aircraft engine compression. Shortly after the director of maintenance went into his office, he returned to the aircraft that was under inspection and informed me (co-worker and I). Quote: 'the president/ceo/director of operation said that you guys (co-worker) were costing him too much money and the both of you are fired!' I said 'what?' and he repeated what he was told to tell us. 'We were fired.' with that I made appropriate entry into the logbook for this aircraft, right #2 engine was of unairworthy for flight along with the compression numbers for cylinders #4 and #6 and signed it. All maintenance was accomplished following the outlines of cessna maintenance manual, far part 43.15 item C1 and appendix D item D3 and far 135 all discrepancies were reported to the director of maintenance or higher. I then vacated the hangar. Time XE03. Graduate from a&P school with 7.5 yrs heavy commercial aircraft maintenance and preventive maintenance experience. 8 months GA type aircraft experience. I had no on-the-job training on this type of aircraft prior to working with this FBO or at this FBO.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ATX SMT TWIN ENG CYLINDER COMPRESSION TEST BELOW ACCEPTABLE LIMITS AND THE MECHS ARE 'FIRED' BECAUSE THEY ADVISE MGMNT THAT ACFT IS NOT AIRWORTHY.

Narrative: LOW COMPRESSION ON A RECIPROCATING ENG. ACFT TYPE 402A. ENG #2 (R SIDE) COMPRESSION BEING ACCOMPLISHED DURING A 50 HR INSPECTION IN ACCORDANCE WITH CESSNA MAINT MANUAL D7777-18-13, REVISED MAR/XX/90. INSPECTION CHKLIST 50- 100-200 HR/ANNUAL AND EA-AC 43.13-1A AND 2A. I ACCOMPLISHED THE RUNUP ON THIS ACFT BOTH ENGS WERE RUN AT 1500 RPM FOR 10-15 MINS. ENG CYLINDER TEMPS AROUND 300 DEGS (IN THE GREEN BAND). ALL ENG OTHER PERIMETERS WERE ALSO IN THE GREEN BAND. COMPRESSION READINGS ARE FOR CYLINDERS #4 AND #6. #4:38/80 AND #6:52/80. THE COMPRESSION CHK WAS ALSO CONDUCTED WITH SOAP AND WATER SPRAYED ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE CYLINDERS TO CHK FOR EVIDENCE OF EXTERNAL CRACKING INTO INTERNAL PORTION OF THE CYLINDERS. THE ACFT ENG WAS REPLACED WITH AN OVERHAULED ENG. THIS COMPRESSION WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE OVERHAULED ENG NOW INSTALLED ON THIS ACFT. OPERATING HRS (143.7). NOTE: THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME FOR THIS PARTICULAR CYLINDER (#4) TO SHOW THIS LOW OF A COMPRESSION. AND IT WAS RPTED TO THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT AT THE TIME OF THE INSTANCE. I CONTACTED THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT AT HOME AND WAS UNABLE TO REACH HIM. I THEN CALLED THE NEXT SUPVR IN THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND INFORMED HIM OF THE SIT AND THAT THIS WAS UNSATISFACTORY. HE ADVISED ME AT THE TIME OF THE CONTACT THAT THEY DID NOT HAVE ANOTHER ACFT TO COVER THE FLT AT XG00, DESPITE THE LOW COMPRESSION. AT AROUND XD15 THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT SHOWED UP AT THE HANGAR. AT THIS TIME I INFORMED HIM OF THE CONDITION OF THE INSPECTION AND THE COMPRESSION CHK FOR THE R (#2) ENG. COMPRESSION ON #4 AND #6. HE INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD CONTACT THE PRESIDENT/CEO AND INFORM HIM OF THE CONDITION OF THE ACFT ENG COMPRESSION. SHORTLY AFTER THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT WENT INTO HIS OFFICE, HE RETURNED TO THE ACFT THAT WAS UNDER INSPECTION AND INFORMED ME (CO-WORKER AND I). QUOTE: 'THE PRESIDENT/CEO/DIRECTOR OF OP SAID THAT YOU GUYS (CO-WORKER) WERE COSTING HIM TOO MUCH MONEY AND THE BOTH OF YOU ARE FIRED!' I SAID 'WHAT?' AND HE REPEATED WHAT HE WAS TOLD TO TELL US. 'WE WERE FIRED.' WITH THAT I MADE APPROPRIATE ENTRY INTO THE LOGBOOK FOR THIS ACFT, R #2 ENG WAS OF UNAIRWORTHY FOR FLT ALONG WITH THE COMPRESSION NUMBERS FOR CYLINDERS #4 AND #6 AND SIGNED IT. ALL MAINT WAS ACCOMPLISHED FOLLOWING THE OUTLINES OF CESSNA MAINT MANUAL, FAR PART 43.15 ITEM C1 AND APPENDIX D ITEM D3 AND FAR 135 ALL DISCREPANCIES WERE RPTED TO THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT OR HIGHER. I THEN VACATED THE HANGAR. TIME XE03. GRADUATE FROM A&P SCHOOL WITH 7.5 YRS HVY COMMERCIAL ACFT MAINT AND PREVENTIVE MAINT EXPERIENCE. 8 MONTHS GA TYPE ACFT EXPERIENCE. I HAD NO ON-THE-JOB TRAINING ON THIS TYPE OF ACFT PRIOR TO WORKING WITH THIS FBO OR AT THIS FBO.

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.