Narrative:

I am an a&P mechanic for a major international airline. On dec/xb/99 another mechanic and I were assigned 2 tasks on a B767-300ER. Per our company's policies and procedures manual, only those people designated as 'ETOPS qualified' may sign off tasks or discrepancies on most system on the aircraft. A non ETOPS qualified mechanic may work under the supervision of an ETOPS qualified mechanic and the ETOPS qualified mechanic may sign off the non qualified mechanic's work. I am not ETOPS qualified, while the other mechanic is. We had pretty much wrapped up the first task and as he was cleaning up I began the second task, which was to replace a #4 bearing tube assembly on a PW4060 series engine. The tube had been found dented on a previous inspection on dec/xa/99 (not by us). The other mechanic joined me not long after I started to remove and replace the tube, and in fact assisted me with the installation. We completed the replacement per the maintenance manual and leak checked the line, which was found to be ok for service. Later in the shift the other mechanic made all the required logbook entries for the items we had worked, except for the entry for the tube replacement. He handed the logbook to me so I could enter and clear the item, which I did. A few days later, I received a memo and copy of the log page from my foreman indicating the tube replacement procedure 'could' be an ETOPS item and I may have not been in compliance with our policies and procedures regarding ETOPS only tasks. After some discussion, we looked in the procedures manual exactly what tasks were, or were not, ETOPS items. As it turns out, any maintenance done on the engines (all air traffic area chapters) is considered an ETOPS item, so I was most definitely not in compliance by making the entry for the repair in the logbook. The maintenance performed was ok, and I was being supervised by an ETOPS qualified mechanic. The signoff was the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300ER WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN ENG RPT SIGNED OFF BY AN UNQUALIFIED TECHNICIAN.

Narrative: I AM AN A&P MECH FOR A MAJOR INTL AIRLINE. ON DEC/XB/99 ANOTHER MECH AND I WERE ASSIGNED 2 TASKS ON A B767-300ER. PER OUR COMPANY'S POLICIES AND PROCS MANUAL, ONLY THOSE PEOPLE DESIGNATED AS 'ETOPS QUALIFIED' MAY SIGN OFF TASKS OR DISCREPANCIES ON MOST SYS ON THE ACFT. A NON ETOPS QUALIFIED MECH MAY WORK UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF AN ETOPS QUALIFIED MECH AND THE ETOPS QUALIFIED MECH MAY SIGN OFF THE NON QUALIFIED MECH'S WORK. I AM NOT ETOPS QUALIFIED, WHILE THE OTHER MECH IS. WE HAD PRETTY MUCH WRAPPED UP THE FIRST TASK AND AS HE WAS CLEANING UP I BEGAN THE SECOND TASK, WHICH WAS TO REPLACE A #4 BEARING TUBE ASSEMBLY ON A PW4060 SERIES ENG. THE TUBE HAD BEEN FOUND DENTED ON A PREVIOUS INSPECTION ON DEC/XA/99 (NOT BY US). THE OTHER MECH JOINED ME NOT LONG AFTER I STARTED TO REMOVE AND REPLACE THE TUBE, AND IN FACT ASSISTED ME WITH THE INSTALLATION. WE COMPLETED THE REPLACEMENT PER THE MAINT MANUAL AND LEAK CHKED THE LINE, WHICH WAS FOUND TO BE OK FOR SVC. LATER IN THE SHIFT THE OTHER MECH MADE ALL THE REQUIRED LOGBOOK ENTRIES FOR THE ITEMS WE HAD WORKED, EXCEPT FOR THE ENTRY FOR THE TUBE REPLACEMENT. HE HANDED THE LOGBOOK TO ME SO I COULD ENTER AND CLR THE ITEM, WHICH I DID. A FEW DAYS LATER, I RECEIVED A MEMO AND COPY OF THE LOG PAGE FROM MY FOREMAN INDICATING THE TUBE REPLACEMENT PROC 'COULD' BE AN ETOPS ITEM AND I MAY HAVE NOT BEEN IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR POLICIES AND PROCS REGARDING ETOPS ONLY TASKS. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION, WE LOOKED IN THE PROCS MANUAL EXACTLY WHAT TASKS WERE, OR WERE NOT, ETOPS ITEMS. AS IT TURNS OUT, ANY MAINT DONE ON THE ENGS (ALL ATA CHAPTERS) IS CONSIDERED AN ETOPS ITEM, SO I WAS MOST DEFINITELY NOT IN COMPLIANCE BY MAKING THE ENTRY FOR THE REPAIR IN THE LOGBOOK. THE MAINT PERFORMED WAS OK, AND I WAS BEING SUPERVISED BY AN ETOPS QUALIFIED MECH. THE SIGNOFF WAS THE PROB.

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.