Narrative:

On may/xx/97, DC9-41 was at a maintenance facility being converted to an all cargo confign. On this date I was the inspector assigned to this aircraft on shift. Maintenance was working repair engineering authority/authorized (rea). At about XA15 hours it was decided to stop work on this job due to the shift ending. I suggested that maintenance obtain a job pass down as required by the general maintenance manual when the work procedure is interrupted. Maintenance objected and wanted to sign the steps we had completed. I told them that we could not stamp steps 5A through east, as those steps configured the aircraft for the test, and was not repeated anywhere on the rea. I explained that a job pass down should be used to document the work steps that we had accomplished, and after completion of all of the checks, the blocks for the individual steps could be filled in using the job pass down as evidence of satisfactory accomplishment of the work. Maintenance then wanted only the block with the work steps stamped leaving the blocks 5A through east for the aircraft confign open. We went to the second shift inspection supervisor who agreed that a job pass down should be used. The maintenance supervisor then said he would hold the rea and have none of it inspected rather than attach a job pass down to it. At that point the inspection supervisor did a 180 degree turn around and heavily pressured me to stamp off the work steps for the aircraft confign. After an animated and drawn out discussion, I did stamp the blocks for the setup of the aircraft confign and a job pass down was not used. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: work flow interruption is part of far part 121. It insures turnover between shift changes or any other interruptions, parts shortage, manpwr, etc. The company's general maintenance manual which must be approved by the FAA is clear and concise stating a job pass down form must be used when work flow is stopped. This particular job involved an airworthiness directive concerning flight controls which were to be maintained in a fixed position until the completion of the work. The reporter explained to the maintenance foreman that a job pass down form should be used to document the work steps accomplished. He refused. The reporter has 20 yrs experience as an inspector and mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-41 AT HVY MAINT CHK FAILED TO USE THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL PROCS FOR JOB INTERRUPTION. THE WORK IN PROGRESS INVOLVED AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE FOR FLT CTLS.

Narrative: ON MAY/XX/97, DC9-41 WAS AT A MAINT FACILITY BEING CONVERTED TO AN ALL CARGO CONFIGN. ON THIS DATE I WAS THE INSPECTOR ASSIGNED TO THIS ACFT ON SHIFT. MAINT WAS WORKING REPAIR ENGINEERING AUTH (REA). AT ABOUT XA15 HRS IT WAS DECIDED TO STOP WORK ON THIS JOB DUE TO THE SHIFT ENDING. I SUGGESTED THAT MAINT OBTAIN A JOB PASS DOWN AS REQUIRED BY THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL WHEN THE WORK PROC IS INTERRUPTED. MAINT OBJECTED AND WANTED TO SIGN THE STEPS WE HAD COMPLETED. I TOLD THEM THAT WE COULD NOT STAMP STEPS 5A THROUGH E, AS THOSE STEPS CONFIGURED THE ACFT FOR THE TEST, AND WAS NOT REPEATED ANYWHERE ON THE REA. I EXPLAINED THAT A JOB PASS DOWN SHOULD BE USED TO DOCUMENT THE WORK STEPS THAT WE HAD ACCOMPLISHED, AND AFTER COMPLETION OF ALL OF THE CHKS, THE BLOCKS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL STEPS COULD BE FILLED IN USING THE JOB PASS DOWN AS EVIDENCE OF SATISFACTORY ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE WORK. MAINT THEN WANTED ONLY THE BLOCK WITH THE WORK STEPS STAMPED LEAVING THE BLOCKS 5A THROUGH E FOR THE ACFT CONFIGN OPEN. WE WENT TO THE SECOND SHIFT INSPECTION SUPVR WHO AGREED THAT A JOB PASS DOWN SHOULD BE USED. THE MAINT SUPVR THEN SAID HE WOULD HOLD THE REA AND HAVE NONE OF IT INSPECTED RATHER THAN ATTACH A JOB PASS DOWN TO IT. AT THAT POINT THE INSPECTION SUPVR DID A 180 DEG TURN AROUND AND HEAVILY PRESSURED ME TO STAMP OFF THE WORK STEPS FOR THE ACFT CONFIGN. AFTER AN ANIMATED AND DRAWN OUT DISCUSSION, I DID STAMP THE BLOCKS FOR THE SETUP OF THE ACFT CONFIGN AND A JOB PASS DOWN WAS NOT USED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: WORK FLOW INTERRUPTION IS PART OF FAR PART 121. IT INSURES TURNOVER BTWN SHIFT CHANGES OR ANY OTHER INTERRUPTIONS, PARTS SHORTAGE, MANPWR, ETC. THE COMPANY'S GENERAL MAINT MANUAL WHICH MUST BE APPROVED BY THE FAA IS CLR AND CONCISE STATING A JOB PASS DOWN FORM MUST BE USED WHEN WORK FLOW IS STOPPED. THIS PARTICULAR JOB INVOLVED AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE CONCERNING FLT CTLS WHICH WERE TO BE MAINTAINED IN A FIXED POS UNTIL THE COMPLETION OF THE WORK. THE RPTR EXPLAINED TO THE MAINT FOREMAN THAT A JOB PASS DOWN FORM SHOULD BE USED TO DOCUMENT THE WORK STEPS ACCOMPLISHED. HE REFUSED. THE RPTR HAS 20 YRS EXPERIENCE AS AN INSPECTOR AND MECH.

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.