Narrative:

Between jul/tue/00, and aug/wed/00, I successfully completed eddy current level I and level ii training at a recognized school. When I returned to work the chief inspector asked if I were ready to perform wheel inspections. I replied that I had successfully completed the school, but that the question of my readiness to do the inspections was for him and the FAA primary maintenance inspector to determine. The chief inspector told me to start doing wheel inspections and issued an inspection stamp to be used in approving wheel assemblies for return to service. Between aug/fri/00, and oct/wed/00, I performed eddy current inspections on 27 wheel assemblies. Two were condemned due to defects and 25 were approved for return to service. 2 possible violations of far's exist. 1) does successful completion of a level ii school meet the requirements for approving parts for return to service? There is no standard across the industry. 2) both the chief inspector and the director of maintenance say that the operation specifications call for performing an eddy current inspection of main wheels with every 5TH tire change. The component maintenance manual calls for an eddy current inspection of main wheels every 5TH tire change until the 20TH tire change, every 3RD tire change until the 30TH tire change, then at every tire change. The actual number of tire changes is unknown. The wheels have been used by several different operators on dozens of aircraft for 20 or more yrs.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSPECTOR MAKING EDDY CURRENT INSPECTIONS ON BAE3100 MAIN WHEELS HAS NO RECORDS OF NUMBER OF TIRE CHANGES EXPERIENCED IN SVC.

Narrative: BTWN JUL/TUE/00, AND AUG/WED/00, I SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED EDDY CURRENT LEVEL I AND LEVEL II TRAINING AT A RECOGNIZED SCHOOL. WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK THE CHIEF INSPECTOR ASKED IF I WERE READY TO PERFORM WHEEL INSPECTIONS. I REPLIED THAT I HAD SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THE SCHOOL, BUT THAT THE QUESTION OF MY READINESS TO DO THE INSPECTIONS WAS FOR HIM AND THE FAA PRIMARY MAINT INSPECTOR TO DETERMINE. THE CHIEF INSPECTOR TOLD ME TO START DOING WHEEL INSPECTIONS AND ISSUED AN INSPECTION STAMP TO BE USED IN APPROVING WHEEL ASSEMBLIES FOR RETURN TO SVC. BTWN AUG/FRI/00, AND OCT/WED/00, I PERFORMED EDDY CURRENT INSPECTIONS ON 27 WHEEL ASSEMBLIES. TWO WERE CONDEMNED DUE TO DEFECTS AND 25 WERE APPROVED FOR RETURN TO SVC. 2 POSSIBLE VIOLATIONS OF FAR'S EXIST. 1) DOES SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF A LEVEL II SCHOOL MEET THE REQUIREMENTS FOR APPROVING PARTS FOR RETURN TO SVC? THERE IS NO STANDARD ACROSS THE INDUSTRY. 2) BOTH THE CHIEF INSPECTOR AND THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT SAY THAT THE OP SPECS CALL FOR PERFORMING AN EDDY CURRENT INSPECTION OF MAIN WHEELS WITH EVERY 5TH TIRE CHANGE. THE COMPONENT MAINT MANUAL CALLS FOR AN EDDY CURRENT INSPECTION OF MAIN WHEELS EVERY 5TH TIRE CHANGE UNTIL THE 20TH TIRE CHANGE, EVERY 3RD TIRE CHANGE UNTIL THE 30TH TIRE CHANGE, THEN AT EVERY TIRE CHANGE. THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF TIRE CHANGES IS UNKNOWN. THE WHEELS HAVE BEEN USED BY SEVERAL DIFFERENT OPERATORS ON DOZENS OF ACFT FOR 20 OR MORE YRS.

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.