Narrative:

I am a first officer for air carrier flying the canadair reginald jet (carj). On dec/xa/99, I was conducting the postflt inspection (as per my operations manual and flight standards manual) on carj, when I noticed what appeared to be small chips in the teflon tape covering the cambered top portion of an outboard flap. Metal was visible through the chips. None of these chips had been present during my preflight inspection at the departure airport. Following prescribed procedures for reporting mechanical discrepancies, the captain entered my discovery in the aircraft maintenance logbook. Maintenance control dispatched a mechanic to our gate, and after he inspected the affected area he removed the aircraft from service. It seems that the flap system in the carj is susceptible to serious wear conditions, which render the airplane unairworthy even though they appear to only be minor cosmetic damage. Callback conversation with the reporter revealed the following information: this reporter is quite concerned over safety issues and states that he is trying to remain professional during times of great stress created during contract negotiations. First, he reports that on five or six legs, the outboard flaps rub strip was worn through the paint covering the teflon material which in turn covers the metal flap surface. The wear is through to and is scoring the base metal where fatigue and weakening become a serious concern. On these occasions, the aircraft has been removed from service and the required maintenance procedure has been accomplished. Second, the reporter states that a high percentage of the maintenance personnel have recently quit this air carrier looking for more stable employment and thus leaving the flcs to deal with less experienced and questionable quality of repairs. Third, he states that the stress is further increased by a court order by a federal judge concerning nonessential write ups. This reporter states that in the interest of safety where passenger safety and flight safety are related that to remain professional, these related flap difficulties present an ongoing and chronic maintenance concern as well. He states that he sent in a NASA report for each of the five incidents mentioned above.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL-65 WRITES UP FLAP WEAR ARRIVING MYNN. CHRONIC WRITE UP FOR SIMILAR ACFT.

Narrative: I AM A FO FOR ACR FLYING THE CANADAIR REGINALD JET (CARJ). ON DEC/XA/99, I WAS CONDUCTING THE POSTFLT INSPECTION (AS PER MY OPS MANUAL AND FLT STANDARDS MANUAL) ON CARJ, WHEN I NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE SMALL CHIPS IN THE TEFLON TAPE COVERING THE CAMBERED TOP PORTION OF AN OUTBOARD FLAP. METAL WAS VISIBLE THROUGH THE CHIPS. NONE OF THESE CHIPS HAD BEEN PRESENT DURING MY PREFLT INSPECTION AT THE DEP ARPT. FOLLOWING PRESCRIBED PROCS FOR REPORTING MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES, THE CAPT ENTERED MY DISCOVERY IN THE ACFT MAINT LOGBOOK. MAINT CONTROL DISPATCHED A MECH TO OUR GATE, AND AFTER HE INSPECTED THE AFFECTED AREA HE REMOVED THE ACFT FROM SERVICE. IT SEEMS THAT THE FLAP SYS IN THE CARJ IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO SERIOUS WEAR CONDITIONS, WHICH RENDER THE AIRPLANE UNAIRWORTHY EVEN THOUGH THEY APPEAR TO ONLY BE MINOR COSMETIC DAMAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR IS QUITE CONCERNED OVER SAFETY ISSUES AND STATES THAT HE IS TRYING TO REMAIN PROFESSIONAL DURING TIMES OF GREAT STRESS CREATED DURING CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. FIRST, HE REPORTS THAT ON FIVE OR SIX LEGS, THE OUTBOARD FLAPS RUB STRIP WAS WORN THROUGH THE PAINT COVERING THE TEFLON MATERIAL WHICH IN TURN COVERS THE METAL FLAP SURFACE. THE WEAR IS THROUGH TO AND IS SCORING THE BASE METAL WHERE FATIGUE AND WEAKENING BECOME A SERIOUS CONCERN. ON THESE OCCASIONS, THE ACFT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM SERVICE AND THE REQUIRED MAINT PROC HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. SECOND, THE RPTR STATES THAT A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF THE MAINT PERSONNEL HAVE RECENTLY QUIT THIS ACR LOOKING FOR MORE STABLE EMPLOYMENT AND THUS LEAVING THE FLCS TO DEAL WITH LESS EXPERIENCED AND QUESTIONABLE QUALITY OF REPAIRS. THIRD, HE STATES THAT THE STRESS IS FURTHER INCREASED BY A COURT ORDER BY A FEDERAL JUDGE CONCERNING NONESSENTIAL WRITE UPS. THIS RPTR STATES THAT IN THE INTEREST OF SAFETY WHERE PAX SAFETY AND FLT SAFETY ARE RELATED THAT TO REMAIN PROFESSIONAL, THESE RELATED FLAP DIFFICULTIES PRESENT AN ONGOING AND CHRONIC MAINT CONCERN AS WELL. HE STATES THAT HE SENT IN A NASA RPT FOR EACH OF THE FIVE INCIDENTS MENTIONED ABOVE.

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.