Narrative:

Aircraft B-757 trip mar/tue/95 was asked by company airlines lax, to counter-sign paper work on aircraft X, which had overnighted and was to depart at gate at XA45. Lax-ewr aircraft would not pressurize above 5.4 psi at FL190 and returned to lax. Found upper beacon assembly removed per cdl 35-08 by airlines and cleared by maintenance control at houston, tx. At time of signoff by me, was not able to check airline's work because lift stand had been returned to hangar and my workload was heavy with other aircraft. The reason for the problem was simple. The aircraft would not pressurize because the upper beacon removed by company left 4 inch circular exit for pressurized air. The makeup air was not enough to overcome this and aircraft pressurization cabin remained high and would not come down to its normal altitude and pressurization differential. The reason for my signoff was that company and the mechanics that night had not been to school on 757 aircraft and could not legally sign off paper work (logbook). There was an administrative problem that night as the company lead had been to school and could have been johnny on the spot for this aircraft and should have been able to monitor work progression. This lead man assigned to work on a hangar B-737-300. It's up to management to properly assign personnel who are responsible for their own work. My signature will not go on anything without my personal satisfaction that I alone know is proper and accomplished correctly as people and life are the most important part of a part 121 operation. Profits are #3. Supplemental information from acn 300784: during overnight maintenance, I placarded the upper anti- collision light assembly inoperative under confign deviation list 33- 8. It states the light assembly may be missing. I called the B-757 maintenance control desk to research the procedure. I was instructed to remove light lens and bulb assembly. There was a mixup in terminology between myself and the maintenance controller. The maintenance controller said remove the light assembly. As an avionics mechanic for 10 yrs, light assembly to me meant the whole unit. He actually meant the bulb or lamp. If he would have stated that to me I would have removed the bulb. I did call him back to review what he wanted, exactly. It didn't sound quite right, but I figured he was the maintenance controller. I assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MAINT WHICH AFFECTED THE PRESSURE VESSEL INTEGRITY OF A B-757 WAS PERFORMED IMPROPERLY, SIGNED OFF, AND RESULTED IN THE ACFT'S AIR RETURN.

Narrative: ACFT B-757 TRIP MAR/TUE/95 WAS ASKED BY COMPANY AIRLINES LAX, TO COUNTER-SIGN PAPER WORK ON ACFT X, WHICH HAD OVERNIGHTED AND WAS TO DEPART AT GATE AT XA45. LAX-EWR ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE ABOVE 5.4 PSI AT FL190 AND RETURNED TO LAX. FOUND UPPER BEACON ASSEMBLY REMOVED PER CDL 35-08 BY AIRLINES AND CLRED BY MAINT CTL AT HOUSTON, TX. AT TIME OF SIGNOFF BY ME, WAS NOT ABLE TO CHK AIRLINE'S WORK BECAUSE LIFT STAND HAD BEEN RETURNED TO HANGAR AND MY WORKLOAD WAS HVY WITH OTHER ACFT. THE REASON FOR THE PROB WAS SIMPLE. THE ACFT WOULD NOT PRESSURIZE BECAUSE THE UPPER BEACON REMOVED BY COMPANY LEFT 4 INCH CIRCULAR EXIT FOR PRESSURIZED AIR. THE MAKEUP AIR WAS NOT ENOUGH TO OVERCOME THIS AND ACFT PRESSURIZATION CABIN REMAINED HIGH AND WOULD NOT COME DOWN TO ITS NORMAL ALT AND PRESSURIZATION DIFFERENTIAL. THE REASON FOR MY SIGNOFF WAS THAT COMPANY AND THE MECHS THAT NIGHT HAD NOT BEEN TO SCHOOL ON 757 ACFT AND COULD NOT LEGALLY SIGN OFF PAPER WORK (LOGBOOK). THERE WAS AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROB THAT NIGHT AS THE COMPANY LEAD HAD BEEN TO SCHOOL AND COULD HAVE BEEN JOHNNY ON THE SPOT FOR THIS ACFT AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO MONITOR WORK PROGRESSION. THIS LEAD MAN ASSIGNED TO WORK ON A HANGAR B-737-300. IT'S UP TO MGMNT TO PROPERLY ASSIGN PERSONNEL WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR OWN WORK. MY SIGNATURE WILL NOT GO ON ANYTHING WITHOUT MY PERSONAL SATISFACTION THAT I ALONE KNOW IS PROPER AND ACCOMPLISHED CORRECTLY AS PEOPLE AND LIFE ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF A PART 121 OP. PROFITS ARE #3. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 300784: DURING OVERNIGHT MAINT, I PLACARDED THE UPPER ANTI- COLLISION LIGHT ASSEMBLY INOP UNDER CONFIGN DEV LIST 33- 8. IT STATES THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY MAY BE MISSING. I CALLED THE B-757 MAINT CTL DESK TO RESEARCH THE PROC. I WAS INSTRUCTED TO REMOVE LIGHT LENS AND BULB ASSEMBLY. THERE WAS A MIXUP IN TERMINOLOGY BTWN MYSELF AND THE MAINT CTLR. THE MAINT CTLR SAID REMOVE THE LIGHT ASSEMBLY. AS AN AVIONICS MECH FOR 10 YRS, LIGHT ASSEMBLY TO ME MEANT THE WHOLE UNIT. HE ACTUALLY MEANT THE BULB OR LAMP. IF HE WOULD HAVE STATED THAT TO ME I WOULD HAVE REMOVED THE BULB. I DID CALL HIM BACK TO REVIEW WHAT HE WANTED, EXACTLY. IT DIDN'T SOUND QUITE RIGHT, BUT I FIGURED HE WAS THE MAINT CTLR. I ASSUMED HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT.

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.