Narrative:

On sep/tue/95 myself and my partner made and installed a section of hydraulic line for a regional carrier. The line was to replace a section of the right main landing gear door actuator 'door closed' line in the right wheel well of an embraer brasilia 120. The replacement line was .250 diameter stainless steel with a .016 inch wall thickness. A perma-swedge was installed on one end and a military standard flareless 'B' nut on the other end and was to be a permanent repair. On sep/thu/95 I learned that the combination of .016 inch wall thickness and the military standard fitting on a .250 diameter stainless line per company general maintenance manuals is good only for an interim repair. I contacted my foreman, and he called the regional carrier controller. The situation was explained and he said he would look into the matter and to call back tomorrow. On sep/fri/95 ord company station maintenance controller again called the regional carrier. They said they had determined that per their maintenance manuals the repair was to be considered permanent. Myself and our maintenance controller tried to clarify to them that per our company specifications the line was considered an interim repair. They said they would call their maintenance base and have somebody call us back. Later, on fri, a mechanic whose name I did not learn, called and told us again that per their company manuals the line repair was good and is to be considered permanent. I am writing this report because being a major airline mechanic, I believe the repaired line should be considered an interim repair as per the general maintenance manual. The line should be replaced with a permanent repair consisting of a .250 diameter stainless steel line with a wall thickness of at least .028 inch if it is to have military standard flareless ends installed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: mechanic states that the repair was below standard according to his company policy, however, realistically it is still acceptable in that the line will last longer than the aircraft. Reporter chose not to pursue the problem further.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MAJOR AIRLINE MECH DISCOVERED THAT A REPAIR WAS NOT PERMANENT UNDER HIS COMPANY'S MAINT MANUAL SPECS, AS HE ORIGINALLY BELIEVED. WHEN THE PARTY (A REGIONAL CARRIER) FOR WHOM THE REPAIR WAS ACCOMPLISHED WAS INFORMED, THEY INSISTED THAT THE REPAIR WAS GOOD ACCORDING TO THEIR MAINT SPECS.

Narrative: ON SEP/TUE/95 MYSELF AND MY PARTNER MADE AND INSTALLED A SECTION OF HYD LINE FOR A REGIONAL CARRIER. THE LINE WAS TO REPLACE A SECTION OF THE R MAIN LNDG GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR 'DOOR CLOSED' LINE IN THE R WHEEL WELL OF AN EMBRAER BRASILIA 120. THE REPLACEMENT LINE WAS .250 DIAMETER STAINLESS STEEL WITH A .016 INCH WALL THICKNESS. A PERMA-SWEDGE WAS INSTALLED ON ONE END AND A MIL STANDARD FLARELESS 'B' NUT ON THE OTHER END AND WAS TO BE A PERMANENT REPAIR. ON SEP/THU/95 I LEARNED THAT THE COMBINATION OF .016 INCH WALL THICKNESS AND THE MIL STANDARD FITTING ON A .250 DIAMETER STAINLESS LINE PER COMPANY GENERAL MAINT MANUALS IS GOOD ONLY FOR AN INTERIM REPAIR. I CONTACTED MY FOREMAN, AND HE CALLED THE REGIONAL CARRIER CTLR. THE SIT WAS EXPLAINED AND HE SAID HE WOULD LOOK INTO THE MATTER AND TO CALL BACK TOMORROW. ON SEP/FRI/95 ORD COMPANY STATION MAINT CTLR AGAIN CALLED THE REGIONAL CARRIER. THEY SAID THEY HAD DETERMINED THAT PER THEIR MAINT MANUALS THE REPAIR WAS TO BE CONSIDERED PERMANENT. MYSELF AND OUR MAINT CTLR TRIED TO CLARIFY TO THEM THAT PER OUR COMPANY SPECS THE LINE WAS CONSIDERED AN INTERIM REPAIR. THEY SAID THEY WOULD CALL THEIR MAINT BASE AND HAVE SOMEBODY CALL US BACK. LATER, ON FRI, A MECH WHOSE NAME I DID NOT LEARN, CALLED AND TOLD US AGAIN THAT PER THEIR COMPANY MANUALS THE LINE REPAIR WAS GOOD AND IS TO BE CONSIDERED PERMANENT. I AM WRITING THIS RPT BECAUSE BEING A MAJOR AIRLINE MECH, I BELIEVE THE REPAIRED LINE SHOULD BE CONSIDERED AN INTERIM REPAIR AS PER THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL. THE LINE SHOULD BE REPLACED WITH A PERMANENT REPAIR CONSISTING OF A .250 DIAMETER STAINLESS STEEL LINE WITH A WALL THICKNESS OF AT LEAST .028 INCH IF IT IS TO HAVE MIL STANDARD FLARELESS ENDS INSTALLED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MECH STATES THAT THE REPAIR WAS BELOW STANDARD ACCORDING TO HIS COMPANY POLICY, HOWEVER, REALISTICALLY IT IS STILL ACCEPTABLE IN THAT THE LINE WILL LAST LONGER THAN THE ACFT. RPTR CHOSE NOT TO PURSUE THE PROB FURTHER.

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.