Narrative:

I am an a&P mechanic for a major airline. On nov/fri/99 a junior mechanic and I were assigned 2 tasks on a B767-300 ETOPS aircraft by our lead mechanic in charge of the shift. At the time the tasks were assigned I was classified as a junior mechanic. The tasks were to remove the replace and APU and to install an APU surge valve on the new unit. We completed the replacement of the APU and surge valve per the maintenance manual, performed all operational checks, leak check, and the unit was found to be ok for service. The lead mechanic also performed an operational check of the unit. I completed the logbook entries for the items I worked and then an eq-mechanic signed the airworthiness release of the aircraft. On dec/thu/99 I overheard my foreman discussing with a lead mechanic about a non-eq mechanic who had replaced an item which required an eq-mechanic to perform the task. I then told my foreman that no nov/xx/99 I was assigned to perform an APU change and APU surge valve installation on an ETOPS aircraft and that I also wasn't ETOPS qualified. I then asked him if an APU replacement and surge valve installation required someone to perform these tasks who was eq qualified. After some discussion about the matter, we looked in the procedures manual for exactly what tasks were, or were not ETOPS items. As it turned out, an APU replacement and surge valve installation are ETOPS items. So I was not in compliance by working on the APU and surge valve installation and not in compliance for the logbook entry. We also found out that the installation of the APU required several job instruction cards to be signed off by the mechanic performing the task and by a mechanic who inspected the installation. On dec/tue/99 my foreman notified our company FAA liaison of the situation. The liaison then had an ETOPS qualified mechanic reinspect the APU and surge valve installation on dec/yy/99 and he ok'ed the aircraft for ETOPS operations.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300ER WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN APU AND SURGE VALVE WAS REPLACED BY UNQUALIFIED TECHNICIANS.

Narrative: I AM AN A&P MECH FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE. ON NOV/FRI/99 A JUNIOR MECH AND I WERE ASSIGNED 2 TASKS ON A B767-300 ETOPS ACFT BY OUR LEAD MECH IN CHARGE OF THE SHIFT. AT THE TIME THE TASKS WERE ASSIGNED I WAS CLASSIFIED AS A JUNIOR MECH. THE TASKS WERE TO REMOVE THE REPLACE AND APU AND TO INSTALL AN APU SURGE VALVE ON THE NEW UNIT. WE COMPLETED THE REPLACEMENT OF THE APU AND SURGE VALVE PER THE MAINT MANUAL, PERFORMED ALL OPERATIONAL CHKS, LEAK CHK, AND THE UNIT WAS FOUND TO BE OK FOR SVC. THE LEAD MECH ALSO PERFORMED AN OPERATIONAL CHK OF THE UNIT. I COMPLETED THE LOGBOOK ENTRIES FOR THE ITEMS I WORKED AND THEN AN EQ-MECH SIGNED THE AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE OF THE ACFT. ON DEC/THU/99 I OVERHEARD MY FOREMAN DISCUSSING WITH A LEAD MECH ABOUT A NON-EQ MECH WHO HAD REPLACED AN ITEM WHICH REQUIRED AN EQ-MECH TO PERFORM THE TASK. I THEN TOLD MY FOREMAN THAT NO NOV/XX/99 I WAS ASSIGNED TO PERFORM AN APU CHANGE AND APU SURGE VALVE INSTALLATION ON AN ETOPS ACFT AND THAT I ALSO WASN'T ETOPS QUALIFIED. I THEN ASKED HIM IF AN APU REPLACEMENT AND SURGE VALVE INSTALLATION REQUIRED SOMEONE TO PERFORM THESE TASKS WHO WAS EQ QUALIFIED. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MATTER, WE LOOKED IN THE PROCS MANUAL FOR EXACTLY WHAT TASKS WERE, OR WERE NOT ETOPS ITEMS. AS IT TURNED OUT, AN APU REPLACEMENT AND SURGE VALVE INSTALLATION ARE ETOPS ITEMS. SO I WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE BY WORKING ON THE APU AND SURGE VALVE INSTALLATION AND NOT IN COMPLIANCE FOR THE LOGBOOK ENTRY. WE ALSO FOUND OUT THAT THE INSTALLATION OF THE APU REQUIRED SEVERAL JOB INSTRUCTION CARDS TO BE SIGNED OFF BY THE MECH PERFORMING THE TASK AND BY A MECH WHO INSPECTED THE INSTALLATION. ON DEC/TUE/99 MY FOREMAN NOTIFIED OUR COMPANY FAA LIAISON OF THE SIT. THE LIAISON THEN HAD AN ETOPS QUALIFIED MECH REINSPECT THE APU AND SURGE VALVE INSTALLATION ON DEC/YY/99 AND HE OK'ED THE ACFT FOR ETOPS OPS.

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.