Narrative:

While completing a #1 service on aircraft nose number xyz from air carrier airlines, a defect or maintenance standard violation was listed and recorded by me. The inspection revealed that both main wheel wells contained wire bundles which were laced with nylon adjustable straps. As per air carrier airlines gn-MM, manual explains, high vibration areas such as wheel wells are not supposed to have this style strap. The correct maintenance standard only allows the use of lacing cord. After documenting the item in maintenance audit and then calling maintenance controller to see if deferring is allowable, the answer was that this item is not deferrable. However, local maintenance management took it upon themselves to defer the item under their authority thus wxxx was created even though line maintenance and the general maintenance manual clearly disagree. Situations such as these happen due to pressure being applied to techs to release an aircraft that is in violation so that flight schedules and delays are avoided. I did not sign-off or release this aircraft into service because I believe the highest maintenance stds did not exist. Maintenance management should not have the authority to pencil whip. The item is now in the long-term deferred list and will not be looked at until jan-2001. Callback conversation with the reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that main wheel well wire bundles were all tied with nylon tie-wraps and the situation was written up. The reporter said a main foreman inspected the wheel well wiring and determined the wiring and tie-wraps were installed by the manufacturer when the aircraft was built 13 years ago and all the tie-wraps were fairly new. The reporter stated the systems maintenance controller was called and refused to allow deferral of the tie-wraps. The reporter said the foreman then deferred the wiring on a long term deferred item to the first maintenance check. The reporter said the foreman had no authority to take this action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NONCOMPLIANCE WITH MAINGEAR WHEEL WELL WIRING BUNDLES SECURED WITH NYLON TIE-WRAPS.

Narrative: WHILE COMPLETING A #1 SERVICE ON ACFT NOSE NUMBER XYZ FROM ACR AIRLINES, A DEFECT OR MAINT STD VIOLATION WAS LISTED AND RECORDED BY ME. THE INSPECTION REVEALED THAT BOTH MAIN WHEEL WELLS CONTAINED WIRE BUNDLES WHICH WERE LACED WITH NYLON ADJUSTABLE STRAPS. AS PER ACR AIRLINES GN-MM, MANUAL EXPLAINS, HIGH VIBRATION AREAS SUCH AS WHEEL WELLS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE THIS STYLE STRAP. THE CORRECT MAINT STD ONLY ALLOWS THE USE OF LACING CORD. AFTER DOCUMENTING THE ITEM IN MAINT AUDIT AND THEN CALLING MAINT CTLR TO SEE IF DEFERRING IS ALLOWABLE, THE ANSWER WAS THAT THIS ITEM IS NOT DEFERRABLE. HOWEVER, LOCAL MAINT MGMNT TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO DEFER THE ITEM UNDER THEIR AUTHORITY THUS WXXX WAS CREATED EVEN THOUGH LINE MAINT AND THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL CLEARLY DISAGREE. SITUATIONS SUCH AS THESE HAPPEN DUE TO PRESSURE BEING APPLIED TO TECHS TO RELEASE AN ACFT THAT IS IN VIOLATION SO THAT FLT SCHEDULES AND DELAYS ARE AVOIDED. I DID NOT SIGN-OFF OR RELEASE THIS ACFT INTO SERVICE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE HIGHEST MAINT STDS DID NOT EXIST. MAINT MGMNT SHOULD NOT HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO PENCIL WHIP. THE ITEM IS NOW IN THE LONG-TERM DEFERRED LIST AND WILL NOT BE LOOKED AT UNTIL JAN-2001. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH THE RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT MAIN WHEEL WELL WIRE BUNDLES WERE ALL TIED WITH NYLON TIE-WRAPS AND THE SIT WAS WRITTEN UP. THE RPTR SAID A MAIN FOREMAN INSPECTED THE WHEEL WELL WIRING AND DETERMINED THE WIRING AND TIE-WRAPS WERE INSTALLED BY THE MANUFACTURER WHEN THE ACFT WAS BUILT 13 YEARS AGO AND ALL THE TIE-WRAPS WERE FAIRLY NEW. THE RPTR STATED THE SYSTEMS MAINT CTLR WAS CALLED AND REFUSED TO ALLOW DEFERRAL OF THE TIE-WRAPS. THE RPTR SAID THE FOREMAN THEN DEFERRED THE WIRING ON A LONG TERM DEFERRED ITEM TO THE FIRST MAINT CHK. THE RPTR SAID THE FOREMAN HAD NO AUTHORITY TO TAKE THIS ACTION.

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.