Narrative:

Preflight inspection revealed improper function of the mach trim compensator test circuit requiring a logbook write-up and deferral signoff under MEL. The maintenance controller said we would need a contract mechanic to do the signoff. While I was standing at the gate podium talking to maintenance control on the telephone, I then turned to the agent to request that they call out a contract mechanic. The ramp supervisor who was standing next to me said, 'I have a mechanic downstairs, do you need him?' I said yes. His man was up at the gate in 1 min. I turned the phone handset (with maintenance control) over to him and he began work on the logbook/MEL with maintenance control over the phone. He finished up in 5 mins and we departed with the mach trim compensation system on MEL. Turns out the mechanic who came up to sign off the logbook works for the company who contracts our ramp services but not yet (though apparently will soon) contract our maintenance services in ZZZ. As such, he was not yet qualified to do any maintenance or signoffs for us. We had also just switched the contract for our agent services, so even the agents were new to our operation! In other words, this policy of contracting out all services at an outstation set us up for a procedural violation because nobody was experienced enough to know how our operation was supposed to work.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9 EXPERIENCED MACH TRIM TEST FAILURE AT AN OFFLINE STATION AND WAS DEFERRED WITH MAINT CTL HELP BY AN UNQUALIFIED TECHNICIAN.

Narrative: PREFLT INSPECTION REVEALED IMPROPER FUNCTION OF THE MACH TRIM COMPENSATOR TEST CIRCUIT REQUIRING A LOGBOOK WRITE-UP AND DEFERRAL SIGNOFF UNDER MEL. THE MAINT CTLR SAID WE WOULD NEED A CONTRACT MECH TO DO THE SIGNOFF. WHILE I WAS STANDING AT THE GATE PODIUM TALKING TO MAINT CTL ON THE TELEPHONE, I THEN TURNED TO THE AGENT TO REQUEST THAT THEY CALL OUT A CONTRACT MECH. THE RAMP SUPVR WHO WAS STANDING NEXT TO ME SAID, 'I HAVE A MECH DOWNSTAIRS, DO YOU NEED HIM?' I SAID YES. HIS MAN WAS UP AT THE GATE IN 1 MIN. I TURNED THE PHONE HANDSET (WITH MAINT CTL) OVER TO HIM AND HE BEGAN WORK ON THE LOGBOOK/MEL WITH MAINT CTL OVER THE PHONE. HE FINISHED UP IN 5 MINS AND WE DEPARTED WITH THE MACH TRIM COMPENSATION SYS ON MEL. TURNS OUT THE MECH WHO CAME UP TO SIGN OFF THE LOGBOOK WORKS FOR THE COMPANY WHO CONTRACTS OUR RAMP SVCS BUT NOT YET (THOUGH APPARENTLY WILL SOON) CONTRACT OUR MAINT SVCS IN ZZZ. AS SUCH, HE WAS NOT YET QUALIFIED TO DO ANY MAINT OR SIGNOFFS FOR US. WE HAD ALSO JUST SWITCHED THE CONTRACT FOR OUR AGENT SVCS, SO EVEN THE AGENTS WERE NEW TO OUR OP! IN OTHER WORDS, THIS POLICY OF CONTRACTING OUT ALL SVCS AT AN OUTSTATION SET US UP FOR A PROCEDURAL VIOLATION BECAUSE NOBODY WAS EXPERIENCED ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW OUR OP WAS SUPPOSED TO WORK.

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.