Narrative:

A company DC9 arrived at yip at XA24 local and was scheduled for an immediate departure to elp. The dispatcher on duty debriefed the arriving flight crew and the aircraft had no inbound discrepancies. The dispatcher notified a new flight crew and the aircraft departed for elp at XB50 local. The dispatcher on duty failed to verify the time remaining on the service check prior to notifying the new flight crew. The aircraft was removed from service in elp. A technical representative was sent to elp to accomplish the required service check, and return the aircraft to service. A company service check is required every 2 days or 24 flight hours, whichever occurs first. The aircraft in question flew 26.4 hours from the previous service check (the calendar requirement was not exceeded). The director of quality control advised dispatch to remove the aircraft from service upon arrival in elp. The acting director of maintenance directed the DC9 technical representative to proceed to elp to accomplish the service check and return the aircraft to service. Several actions have been taken to prevent recurrence of the alleged violation. Following is an overview of these actions: 1) an electronic spreadsheet was developed to automatically compute the time remaining on service and 'a' checks, 2) a maintenance procedures bulletin was issued to clarify service and 'a' check sign-off procedures, as well as clarification of procedures for notifying dispatch on the completion time and date for these checks, 3) the operations dispatch status board has been revised to show a 'time remaining' column for these checks, 4) each operations dispatcher will be required to verify the status of these checks on each aircraft prior to the beginning of each shift.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SMALL AIRFREIGHT ACR ALLOWED ONE OF ITS ACFT TO OVERFLY A MANDATORY INSPECTION PERIOD.

Narrative: A COMPANY DC9 ARRIVED AT YIP AT XA24 LCL AND WAS SCHEDULED FOR AN IMMEDIATE DEP TO ELP. THE DISPATCHER ON DUTY DEBRIEFED THE ARRIVING FLC AND THE ACFT HAD NO INBOUND DISCREPANCIES. THE DISPATCHER NOTIFIED A NEW FLC AND THE ACFT DEPARTED FOR ELP AT XB50 LCL. THE DISPATCHER ON DUTY FAILED TO VERIFY THE TIME REMAINING ON THE SVC CHK PRIOR TO NOTIFYING THE NEW FLC. THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC IN ELP. A TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE WAS SENT TO ELP TO ACCOMPLISH THE REQUIRED SVC CHK, AND RETURN THE ACFT TO SVC. A COMPANY SVC CHK IS REQUIRED EVERY 2 DAYS OR 24 FLT HRS, WHICHEVER OCCURS FIRST. THE ACFT IN QUESTION FLEW 26.4 HRS FROM THE PREVIOUS SVC CHK (THE CALENDAR REQUIREMENT WAS NOT EXCEEDED). THE DIRECTOR OF QUALITY CTL ADVISED DISPATCH TO REMOVE THE ACFT FROM SVC UPON ARR IN ELP. THE ACTING DIRECTOR OF MAINT DIRECTED THE DC9 TECHNICAL REPRESENTATIVE TO PROCEED TO ELP TO ACCOMPLISH THE SVC CHK AND RETURN THE ACFT TO SVC. SEVERAL ACTIONS HAVE BEEN TAKEN TO PREVENT RECURRENCE OF THE ALLEGED VIOLATION. FOLLOWING IS AN OVERVIEW OF THESE ACTIONS: 1) AN ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEET WAS DEVELOPED TO AUTOMATICALLY COMPUTE THE TIME REMAINING ON SVC AND 'A' CHKS, 2) A MAINT PROCS BULLETIN WAS ISSUED TO CLARIFY SVC AND 'A' CHK SIGN-OFF PROCS, AS WELL AS CLARIFICATION OF PROCS FOR NOTIFYING DISPATCH ON THE COMPLETION TIME AND DATE FOR THESE CHKS, 3) THE OPS DISPATCH STATUS BOARD HAS BEEN REVISED TO SHOW A 'TIME REMAINING' COLUMN FOR THESE CHKS, 4) EACH OPS DISPATCHER WILL BE REQUIRED TO VERIFY THE STATUS OF THESE CHKS ON EACH ACFT PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF EACH SHIFT.

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.