An air carrier primary maintenance inspector is questioning the legality of a B757-200 that was disp...

Narrative:

On feb/xa/98 I was assigned a job card yyz for aircraft xyz to check the cockpit voice recorder underwater locator beacon. The underwater locator beacon failed the 3 ft signal criteria. The job card (position #2) note states 'if underwater locator beacon fails test, initiate a non routine to replace underwater locator beacon. (The job card does not mention any reference to a maintenance manual or MEL.) I initiated the mechanic's non routine write-up, went to the stock room, there was '0' stock throughout the system for replacement. I conferred with my lead and the most expeditious deferral was maintenance control for the mechanic's non routine write-up. I did test of cockpit voice recorder and it functioned normal. A check of the MEL showed (1) or (0) required also no referral to maintenance manual requirement. I completed the job card. On approximately mar/xa/98 I received an intent to deliver card from the post office in my mail box. On mar/xb/98 I picked it up - - this was the first opportunity to do so, I signed for it. It was an investigation notice from FAA pmi at ZZZ office. Since it contained no phone number, I contacted the local FAA for a number for pmi. I researched the gmm and it states that the job card procedure is the preferred procedure to follow, and the job card may take precedence over the maintenance manual to facilitate rapid changes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the aircraft was a B757-200 and a job card was for a specific task and took preference over the maintenance manual because it was updated at a greater frequency than the maintenance manual. The reporter said the MEL allowed deferral of the cockpit voice recorder and was approved by the maintenance controller. The reporter states the air carrier primary maintenance inspector has not accepted this reasoning and has given the reporter a 2 year probation penalty. The reporter stated that this penalty is unjustified as the job card was followed and the MEL followed to the letter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR PRIMARY MAINT INSPECTOR IS QUESTIONING THE LEGALITY OF A B757-200 THAT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER UNDERWATER LOCATOR BEACON INOP AND DEFERRED PER THE MEL.

Narrative: ON FEB/XA/98 I WAS ASSIGNED A JOB CARD YYZ FOR ACFT XYZ TO CHK THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER UNDERWATER LOCATOR BEACON. THE UNDERWATER LOCATOR BEACON FAILED THE 3 FT SIGNAL CRITERIA. THE JOB CARD (POS #2) NOTE STATES 'IF UNDERWATER LOCATOR BEACON FAILS TEST, INITIATE A NON ROUTINE TO REPLACE UNDERWATER LOCATOR BEACON. (THE JOB CARD DOES NOT MENTION ANY REF TO A MAINT MANUAL OR MEL.) I INITIATED THE MECH'S NON ROUTINE WRITE-UP, WENT TO THE STOCK ROOM, THERE WAS '0' STOCK THROUGHOUT THE SYS FOR REPLACEMENT. I CONFERRED WITH MY LEAD AND THE MOST EXPEDITIOUS DEFERRAL WAS MAINT CTL FOR THE MECH'S NON ROUTINE WRITE-UP. I DID TEST OF COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AND IT FUNCTIONED NORMAL. A CHK OF THE MEL SHOWED (1) OR (0) REQUIRED ALSO NO REFERRAL TO MAINT MANUAL REQUIREMENT. I COMPLETED THE JOB CARD. ON APPROX MAR/XA/98 I RECEIVED AN INTENT TO DELIVER CARD FROM THE POST OFFICE IN MY MAIL BOX. ON MAR/XB/98 I PICKED IT UP - - THIS WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO, I SIGNED FOR IT. IT WAS AN INVESTIGATION NOTICE FROM FAA PMI AT ZZZ OFFICE. SINCE IT CONTAINED NO PHONE NUMBER, I CONTACTED THE LCL FAA FOR A NUMBER FOR PMI. I RESEARCHED THE GMM AND IT STATES THAT THE JOB CARD PROC IS THE PREFERRED PROC TO FOLLOW, AND THE JOB CARD MAY TAKE PRECEDENCE OVER THE MAINT MANUAL TO FACILITATE RAPID CHANGES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT WAS A B757-200 AND A JOB CARD WAS FOR A SPECIFIC TASK AND TOOK PREFERENCE OVER THE MAINT MANUAL BECAUSE IT WAS UPDATED AT A GREATER FREQ THAN THE MAINT MANUAL. THE RPTR SAID THE MEL ALLOWED DEFERRAL OF THE COCKPIT VOICE RECORDER AND WAS APPROVED BY THE MAINT CTLR. THE RPTR STATES THE ACR PRIMARY MAINT INSPECTOR HAS NOT ACCEPTED THIS REASONING AND HAS GIVEN THE RPTR A 2 YEAR PROBATION PENALTY. THE RPTR STATED THAT THIS PENALTY IS UNJUSTIFIED AS THE JOB CARD WAS FOLLOWED AND THE MEL FOLLOWED TO THE LETTER.

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.

Attributes
ACN	396630
Time
Date	199802
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	396630
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : assigned or threatened penalties
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

An air carrier primary maintenance inspector is questioning the legality of a B757-200 that was dispatched with the cockpit voice recorder underwater locator beacon inoperative and deferred per the MEL.