Narrative:

Mechanic called me in maintenance control for authority/authorized to recertify an aircraft heads up guidance system to CAT IIIA status. I entered his employee number in our heads up guidance system mechanics screen on computer. His name came up indicating his recertification status was current and I authority/authorized the recertification. It was discovered later (I assume by the training department updating records) that it had been more than 6 months since this mechanic's last CAT IIIA recertification. According to our procedures at air carrier, if it has been more than 6 months since a mechanic has performed a CAT IIIA recertification he is no longer considered current and must perform a recertification with a heads up guidance system training designee to become current. If a mechanic is not current his name is not suppose to come up on the heads up guidance system mechanic's screen when his employee number is entered. Technical support found a corrupt database allowed this mechanic's name to come up even though he was not current. The problem was immediately corrected when found, and the aircraft was recertified by a current mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AUTOLAND CAT IIIA STATUS CERTIFICATION ACCOMPLISHED BY AN UNQUALIFIED TECHNICIAN.

Narrative: MECH CALLED ME IN MAINT CTL FOR AUTH TO RECERTIFY AN ACFT HEADS UP GUIDANCE SYS TO CAT IIIA STATUS. I ENTERED HIS EMPLOYEE NUMBER IN OUR HEADS UP GUIDANCE SYS MECHS SCREEN ON COMPUTER. HIS NAME CAME UP INDICATING HIS RECERTIFICATION STATUS WAS CURRENT AND I AUTH THE RECERTIFICATION. IT WAS DISCOVERED LATER (I ASSUME BY THE TRAINING DEPT UPDATING RECORDS) THAT IT HAD BEEN MORE THAN 6 MONTHS SINCE THIS MECH'S LAST CAT IIIA RECERTIFICATION. ACCORDING TO OUR PROCS AT ACR, IF IT HAS BEEN MORE THAN 6 MONTHS SINCE A MECH HAS PERFORMED A CAT IIIA RECERTIFICATION HE IS NO LONGER CONSIDERED CURRENT AND MUST PERFORM A RECERTIFICATION WITH A HEADS UP GUIDANCE SYS TRAINING DESIGNEE TO BECOME CURRENT. IF A MECH IS NOT CURRENT HIS NAME IS NOT SUPPOSE TO COME UP ON THE HEADS UP GUIDANCE SYS MECH'S SCREEN WHEN HIS EMPLOYEE NUMBER IS ENTERED. TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOUND A CORRUPT DATABASE ALLOWED THIS MECH'S NAME TO COME UP EVEN THOUGH HE WAS NOT CURRENT. THE PROB WAS IMMEDIATELY CORRECTED WHEN FOUND, AND THE ACFT WAS RECERTIFIED BY A CURRENT MECH.

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.