Narrative:

On may/fri/00 I received into air carrier accessory overhaul shop, an airstair actuator that was returned from abc wvv (our heavy maintenance contractor) as a svcable unit. Upon inspection, I found that the unit had been damaged and/or tampered with. Also, our company svcable tag had been falsified, my signature and employee number was signed by another person and the vendor's svcable tag. FAA form 8130-3 was missing. This unit, mpn: yx-vxv, msn, ax was shown as being svcable in our computer system, but was missing the hole plug on the housing cover and the rocker arm inside could be seen as not engaging the shoulder nut for tensioning the cable clutch assembly. It was previously repaired by vendor vzzyx yzo under purchase order #bcd-va, sep/wed/99, then shipped to abc wvv on nov/tue/99. If this unit was damaged when it was received at abc wvy then it should have been made unsvcable, noting the damage and returned to air carrier for disposition. If it was installed and subsequently failed it should have been made unsvcable and returned to air carrier where it would be evaluated and returned to the vendor for repair under warranty. If the tag was lost or missing the unit should have been returned to air carrier for disposition. Under no circumstances is anyone authority/authorized to use my signature for any reason, especially for certifying a part svcable when it is obviously damaged. On may/tue/00, I received into air carrier accessory overhaul shop, an engine anti-ice thermostatic valve, mpn: yx-xvx, msn: xa, which showed svcable in our computer system, again with a rewritten company svcable tag with the signatures of another shop mechanic and myself signed by someone else. The valve itself did not appear to be damaged in any way, but again if the tags were lost or missing the unit should have been returned to air carrier for disposition. If it was installed for troubleshooting then removed, but the tag had already been filled out, the removal reason should have been crossed out and 'did not use' written in and the unit sent back to air carrier for evaluation. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the svcable parts tags on 2 unsvcable units with his name and employee number was immediately reported to management and the FAA. The reporter said an investigation traced the parts to the vendor and the employee who either lost the original unsvcable parts tags or were torn off in transit. The reporter stated the vendor employee made up and filled out new tags remembering the information on the lost or damaged tags. The reporter said the tags used by the vendor employee were svcable parts tags not unsvcable parts tags which allowed the parts to get back into the svcable parts stream. The reporter said the company management and the FAA agreed there was no criminal intent in these actions.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAD TECHNICIAN RPTS RECEIVING AN UNSVCABLE ACTUATOR FROM A VENDOR WITH A SVCABLE TAG WITH HIS UNAUTH SIGNATURE AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER.

Narrative: ON MAY/FRI/00 I RECEIVED INTO ACR ACCESSORY OVERHAUL SHOP, AN AIRSTAIR ACTUATOR THAT WAS RETURNED FROM ABC WVV (OUR HVY MAINT CONTRACTOR) AS A SVCABLE UNIT. UPON INSPECTION, I FOUND THAT THE UNIT HAD BEEN DAMAGED AND/OR TAMPERED WITH. ALSO, OUR COMPANY SVCABLE TAG HAD BEEN FALSIFIED, MY SIGNATURE AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER WAS SIGNED BY ANOTHER PERSON AND THE VENDOR'S SVCABLE TAG. FAA FORM 8130-3 WAS MISSING. THIS UNIT, MPN: YX-VXV, MSN, AX WAS SHOWN AS BEING SVCABLE IN OUR COMPUTER SYS, BUT WAS MISSING THE HOLE PLUG ON THE HOUSING COVER AND THE ROCKER ARM INSIDE COULD BE SEEN AS NOT ENGAGING THE SHOULDER NUT FOR TENSIONING THE CABLE CLUTCH ASSEMBLY. IT WAS PREVIOUSLY REPAIRED BY VENDOR VZZYX YZO UNDER PURCHASE ORDER #BCD-VA, SEP/WED/99, THEN SHIPPED TO ABC WVV ON NOV/TUE/99. IF THIS UNIT WAS DAMAGED WHEN IT WAS RECEIVED AT ABC WVY THEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE UNSVCABLE, NOTING THE DAMAGE AND RETURNED TO ACR FOR DISPOSITION. IF IT WAS INSTALLED AND SUBSEQUENTLY FAILED IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MADE UNSVCABLE AND RETURNED TO ACR WHERE IT WOULD BE EVALUATED AND RETURNED TO THE VENDOR FOR REPAIR UNDER WARRANTY. IF THE TAG WAS LOST OR MISSING THE UNIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO ACR FOR DISPOSITION. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES IS ANYONE AUTH TO USE MY SIGNATURE FOR ANY REASON, ESPECIALLY FOR CERTIFYING A PART SVCABLE WHEN IT IS OBVIOUSLY DAMAGED. ON MAY/TUE/00, I RECEIVED INTO ACR ACCESSORY OVERHAUL SHOP, AN ENG ANTI-ICE THERMOSTATIC VALVE, MPN: YX-XVX, MSN: XA, WHICH SHOWED SVCABLE IN OUR COMPUTER SYS, AGAIN WITH A REWRITTEN COMPANY SVCABLE TAG WITH THE SIGNATURES OF ANOTHER SHOP MECH AND MYSELF SIGNED BY SOMEONE ELSE. THE VALVE ITSELF DID NOT APPEAR TO BE DAMAGED IN ANY WAY, BUT AGAIN IF THE TAGS WERE LOST OR MISSING THE UNIT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RETURNED TO ACR FOR DISPOSITION. IF IT WAS INSTALLED FOR TROUBLESHOOTING THEN REMOVED, BUT THE TAG HAD ALREADY BEEN FILLED OUT, THE REMOVAL REASON SHOULD HAVE BEEN CROSSED OUT AND 'DID NOT USE' WRITTEN IN AND THE UNIT SENT BACK TO ACR FOR EVALUATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SVCABLE PARTS TAGS ON 2 UNSVCABLE UNITS WITH HIS NAME AND EMPLOYEE NUMBER WAS IMMEDIATELY RPTED TO MGMNT AND THE FAA. THE RPTR SAID AN INVESTIGATION TRACED THE PARTS TO THE VENDOR AND THE EMPLOYEE WHO EITHER LOST THE ORIGINAL UNSVCABLE PARTS TAGS OR WERE TORN OFF IN TRANSIT. THE RPTR STATED THE VENDOR EMPLOYEE MADE UP AND FILLED OUT NEW TAGS REMEMBERING THE INFO ON THE LOST OR DAMAGED TAGS. THE RPTR SAID THE TAGS USED BY THE VENDOR EMPLOYEE WERE SVCABLE PARTS TAGS NOT UNSVCABLE PARTS TAGS WHICH ALLOWED THE PARTS TO GET BACK INTO THE SVCABLE PARTS STREAM. THE RPTR SAID THE COMPANY MGMNT AND THE FAA AGREED THERE WAS NO CRIMINAL INTENT IN THESE ACTIONS.

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.