A B737-300 was dispatched and operated in non compliance with a spare fuel tank boost pump carried i...

Attributes
ACN	455481
Time
Date	199911
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : coordinator
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
ASRS Report	455481
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

I was working as an upgrade station maintenance controller, smc, when I received a call from one of our aircraft dispatchers. The dispatch person told me a captain was refusing to take an aircraft because a boost pump low pressure light was deferred inoperative, pump operation was normal. I was instructed by dispatch to tell the technician working the trip to defer the pump completely inoperative and put a boost pump in an area we refer to as the 'lob, leave on board.' deferred item was also updated by someone in abc to do the same, possibly a line maintenance controller. The technician spoke with the captain, and both must have agreed to taking the plane as is because the pump was never deferred inoperative. The pump was put on the plane when it returned from its trip. To prevent a delay or to just keep the captain from not taking the airplane, someone, dispatch, decided to have us put a pump onboard without giving any thought as to it being hazmat. This way it could be replaced later at the end of flying that day. The pump is delivered in a shipping container with no hazmat markings so not being involved in the packing or even shipping of things, technicians would not know if it was properly packaged for shipment. One other was that an FAA inspector was riding along which I feel in some way made the captain nervous about having something wrong with the airplane. Had the inspector not been there it is possible nothing would have ever been said about the pump low pressure light being inoperative. What I know about how it was discovered and even what corrective action taken is limited. After the pump was changed late that night, with a different pump, it was discovered in the lob area. Any corrective actions would be the better marking of hazmat items like fuel or hydraulic components so everyone including the people who load them are sure of what is going on the airplane. The aircraft did make at least 5 trips with a fuel pump onboard and I am not sure if it was packaged properly or not.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A SPARE FUEL TANK BOOST PUMP CARRIED IN THE CARGO PIT OVERNIGHT PARTS BIN. A HAZMAT VIOLATION.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING AS AN UPGRADE STATION MAINT CTLR, SMC, WHEN I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ONE OF OUR ACFT DISPATCHERS. THE DISPATCH PERSON TOLD ME A CAPT WAS REFUSING TO TAKE AN ACFT BECAUSE A BOOST PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT WAS DEFERRED INOP, PUMP OP WAS NORMAL. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY DISPATCH TO TELL THE TECHNICIAN WORKING THE TRIP TO DEFER THE PUMP COMPLETELY INOP AND PUT A BOOST PUMP IN AN AREA WE REFER TO AS THE 'LOB, LEAVE ON BOARD.' DEFERRED ITEM WAS ALSO UPDATED BY SOMEONE IN ABC TO DO THE SAME, POSSIBLY A LINE MAINT CTLR. THE TECHNICIAN SPOKE WITH THE CAPT, AND BOTH MUST HAVE AGREED TO TAKING THE PLANE AS IS BECAUSE THE PUMP WAS NEVER DEFERRED INOP. THE PUMP WAS PUT ON THE PLANE WHEN IT RETURNED FROM ITS TRIP. TO PREVENT A DELAY OR TO JUST KEEP THE CAPT FROM NOT TAKING THE AIRPLANE, SOMEONE, DISPATCH, DECIDED TO HAVE US PUT A PUMP ONBOARD WITHOUT GIVING ANY THOUGHT AS TO IT BEING HAZMAT. THIS WAY IT COULD BE REPLACED LATER AT THE END OF FLYING THAT DAY. THE PUMP IS DELIVERED IN A SHIPPING CONTAINER WITH NO HAZMAT MARKINGS SO NOT BEING INVOLVED IN THE PACKING OR EVEN SHIPPING OF THINGS, TECHNICIANS WOULD NOT KNOW IF IT WAS PROPERLY PACKAGED FOR SHIPMENT. ONE OTHER WAS THAT AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS RIDING ALONG WHICH I FEEL IN SOME WAY MADE THE CAPT NERVOUS ABOUT HAVING SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRPLANE. HAD THE INSPECTOR NOT BEEN THERE IT IS POSSIBLE NOTHING WOULD HAVE EVER BEEN SAID ABOUT THE PUMP LOW PRESSURE LIGHT BEING INOP. WHAT I KNOW ABOUT HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED AND EVEN WHAT CORRECTIVE ACTION TAKEN IS LIMITED. AFTER THE PUMP WAS CHANGED LATE THAT NIGHT, WITH A DIFFERENT PUMP, IT WAS DISCOVERED IN THE LOB AREA. ANY CORRECTIVE ACTIONS WOULD BE THE BETTER MARKING OF HAZMAT ITEMS LIKE FUEL OR HYD COMPONENTS SO EVERYONE INCLUDING THE PEOPLE WHO LOAD THEM ARE SURE OF WHAT IS GOING ON THE AIRPLANE. THE ACFT DID MAKE AT LEAST 5 TRIPS WITH A FUEL PUMP ONBOARD AND I AM NOT SURE IF IT WAS PACKAGED PROPERLY OR NOT.

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 B737-300 was dispatched and operated in non compliance with a spare fuel tank boost pump carried in the cargo pit overnight parts bin. A hazmat violation.