Narrative:

The floorboard shop has been fabricating forward and mid aft (except bulk cargo) cargo boards out of bulk stock, company part number axbycz for the past 5-8 yrs. The maintenance manual and structural repair manual do not authority/authorized this company part number. I believe there to be proper authority/authorized for the company part number we have been using in the form of an engineering change order or engineering service order, but can find no proof that it exists anywhere except in engineering records. There is no engineering service order on hand in the shop and a request was made to my supervisor to have engineering provide proper authority/authorized before I release completed floorboards for aircraft xyz which are already completed. After a conversation with supervisor abc XXXX at XA00 hours dec/mon/99, I became convinced that it might be too large a task to produce existing authority/authorized, or there in fact may be no authority/authorized for past production, and felt that I was at that time, and might be later, pressured to ship aircraft xyz with the promise of 'authority/authorized to follow,' which is essentially what mr abc XXXX tried today at XD00 hours. I resisted and demanded written authority/authorized before I released aircraft xyz and further stated that we may have been in violation for the past 8 yrs. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the DC10 cargo compartment floorboards were fabricated in the air carrier shop for a period of at least 8 yrs with no maintenance manual or structural repair manual reference for the build-up material. The reporter said the floorboards consist of a sandwich of aluminum sheet and aluminum honeycomb material bonded with epoxy adhesive. The reporter stated the supervisor would not make a decision on the need for documentation until faced with the floorboards already completed not released to an airplane in the dock. The reporter stated an engineering service order was obtained for the completed floorboards but only a one time authority/authorized to install this set of floorboards. The reporter said engineering has promised to correct the lack of documentation as soon as possible.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH CARGO COMPARTMENT FLOORBOARDS FABRICATED WITH UNAPPROVED AND UNDOCUMENTED MATERIAL.

Narrative: THE FLOORBOARD SHOP HAS BEEN FABRICATING FORWARD AND MID AFT (EXCEPT BULK CARGO) CARGO BOARDS OUT OF BULK STOCK, COMPANY PART NUMBER AXBYCZ FOR THE PAST 5-8 YRS. THE MAINT MANUAL AND STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL DO NOT AUTH THIS COMPANY PART NUMBER. I BELIEVE THERE TO BE PROPER AUTH FOR THE COMPANY PART NUMBER WE HAVE BEEN USING IN THE FORM OF AN ENGINEERING CHANGE ORDER OR ENGINEERING SVC ORDER, BUT CAN FIND NO PROOF THAT IT EXISTS ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN ENGINEERING RECORDS. THERE IS NO ENGINEERING SVC ORDER ON HAND IN THE SHOP AND A REQUEST WAS MADE TO MY SUPVR TO HAVE ENGINEERING PROVIDE PROPER AUTH BEFORE I RELEASE COMPLETED FLOORBOARDS FOR ACFT XYZ WHICH ARE ALREADY COMPLETED. AFTER A CONVERSATION WITH SUPVR ABC XXXX AT XA00 HRS DEC/MON/99, I BECAME CONVINCED THAT IT MIGHT BE TOO LARGE A TASK TO PRODUCE EXISTING AUTH, OR THERE IN FACT MAY BE NO AUTH FOR PAST PRODUCTION, AND FELT THAT I WAS AT THAT TIME, AND MIGHT BE LATER, PRESSURED TO SHIP ACFT XYZ WITH THE PROMISE OF 'AUTH TO FOLLOW,' WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT MR ABC XXXX TRIED TODAY AT XD00 HRS. I RESISTED AND DEMANDED WRITTEN AUTH BEFORE I RELEASED ACFT XYZ AND FURTHER STATED THAT WE MAY HAVE BEEN IN VIOLATION FOR THE PAST 8 YRS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE DC10 CARGO COMPARTMENT FLOORBOARDS WERE FABRICATED IN THE ACR SHOP FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 8 YRS WITH NO MAINT MANUAL OR STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL REF FOR THE BUILD-UP MATERIAL. THE RPTR SAID THE FLOORBOARDS CONSIST OF A SANDWICH OF ALUMINUM SHEET AND ALUMINUM HONEYCOMB MATERIAL BONDED WITH EPOXY ADHESIVE. THE RPTR STATED THE SUPVR WOULD NOT MAKE A DECISION ON THE NEED FOR DOCUMENTATION UNTIL FACED WITH THE FLOORBOARDS ALREADY COMPLETED NOT RELEASED TO AN AIRPLANE IN THE DOCK. THE RPTR STATED AN ENGINEERING SVC ORDER WAS OBTAINED FOR THE COMPLETED FLOORBOARDS BUT ONLY A ONE TIME AUTH TO INSTALL THIS SET OF FLOORBOARDS. THE RPTR SAID ENGINEERING HAS PROMISED TO CORRECT THE LACK OF DOCUMENTATION ASAP.

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.