A fokker F100 has a non company mechanic who pulls the engine reverser circuit breakers without the ...

Attributes
ACN	359383
Time
Date	199701
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ord
State Reference	IL
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	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	359383
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : unspecified other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Upon landing ord, it was discovered we had no reversers. Captain took control of aircraft with over 5000 ft of runway covered with snow and ice. Braf reported. Maximum braking was necessary to stop aircraft. It took entire runway to stop aircraft. It was discovered that the reversers circuit breakers for both reversers were out. Maintenance had been performed at pvd by contract maintenance after original preflight had been completed. Lift dumpers had to be disconnected for compliance of MEL. Suspect maintenance pulled circuit breakers without our knowledge. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the problem started in pvd. When the spoiler had to be worked upon, the engine reversers had their circuit breaker pulled. It was part of the mechanic's procedure. With the outside work complete, the flight crew never rechked any switch or circuit breaker settings. Captain said the circuit breakers are visible from his seat location, but he never rechked any circuit breakers nor did he feel them with his hands. He could have reset them in-flight without leaving his seat. However, he had no reason to believe the circuit breakers had been pulled. Because his company does not staff mechanics at pvd, they call upon contract maintenance to fill the need when mechanical problems arise. Contracted mechanics do not normally have the experi ence company mechanics have, so their work and procedures are not at a level comparable with company standards. Reporter feels let down by the mechanic that worked on his aircraft. He would hope the mechanic would let the pilots be informed of all switch movements he made during the repair of his aircraft. The first officer made the landing on runway 9L at ord. It was snowy and icy on the runway. Normal use of thrust is to just go to idle reverse. When his first officer went to idle reverse and nothing happened, he immediately took control of the aircraft and began applying braking. The aircraft went right to the end of the runway.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER F100 HAS A NON COMPANY MECH WHO PULLS THE ENG REVERSER CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITHOUT THE FLC KNOWLEDGE. ACFT COMES CLOSE TO GOING OFF END OF LNDG RWY AS REVERSERS WILL NOT DEPLOY.

Narrative: UPON LNDG ORD, IT WAS DISCOVERED WE HAD NO REVERSERS. CAPT TOOK CTL OF ACFT WITH OVER 5000 FT OF RWY COVERED WITH SNOW AND ICE. BRAF RPTED. MAX BRAKING WAS NECESSARY TO STOP ACFT. IT TOOK ENTIRE RWY TO STOP ACFT. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE REVERSERS CIRCUIT BREAKERS FOR BOTH REVERSERS WERE OUT. MAINT HAD BEEN PERFORMED AT PVD BY CONTRACT MAINT AFTER ORIGINAL PREFLT HAD BEEN COMPLETED. LIFT DUMPERS HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED FOR COMPLIANCE OF MEL. SUSPECT MAINT PULLED CIRCUIT BREAKERS WITHOUT OUR KNOWLEDGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE PROB STARTED IN PVD. WHEN THE SPOILER HAD TO BE WORKED UPON, THE ENG REVERSERS HAD THEIR CIRCUIT BREAKER PULLED. IT WAS PART OF THE MECH'S PROC. WITH THE OUTSIDE WORK COMPLETE, THE FLC NEVER RECHKED ANY SWITCH OR CIRCUIT BREAKER SETTINGS. CAPT SAID THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS ARE VISIBLE FROM HIS SEAT LOCATION, BUT HE NEVER RECHKED ANY CIRCUIT BREAKERS NOR DID HE FEEL THEM WITH HIS HANDS. HE COULD HAVE RESET THEM INFLT WITHOUT LEAVING HIS SEAT. HOWEVER, HE HAD NO REASON TO BELIEVE THE CIRCUIT BREAKERS HAD BEEN PULLED. BECAUSE HIS COMPANY DOES NOT STAFF MECHS AT PVD, THEY CALL UPON CONTRACT MAINT TO FILL THE NEED WHEN MECHANICAL PROBS ARISE. CONTRACTED MECHS DO NOT NORMALLY HAVE THE EXPERI ENCE COMPANY MECHS HAVE, SO THEIR WORK AND PROCS ARE NOT AT A LEVEL COMPARABLE WITH COMPANY STANDARDS. RPTR FEELS LET DOWN BY THE MECH THAT WORKED ON HIS ACFT. HE WOULD HOPE THE MECH WOULD LET THE PLTS BE INFORMED OF ALL SWITCH MOVEMENTS HE MADE DURING THE REPAIR OF HIS ACFT. THE FO MADE THE LNDG ON RWY 9L AT ORD. IT WAS SNOWY AND ICY ON THE RWY. NORMAL USE OF THRUST IS TO JUST GO TO IDLE REVERSE. WHEN HIS FO WENT TO IDLE REVERSE AND NOTHING HAPPENED, HE IMMEDIATELY TOOK CTL OF THE ACFT AND BEGAN APPLYING BRAKING. THE ACFT WENT RIGHT TO THE END OF THE RWY.

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.

A fokker F100 has a non company mechanic who pulls the engine reverser circuit breakers without the flight crew knowledge. Aircraft comes close to going off end of landing runway as reversers will not deploy.