Narrative:

On walkaround, found several wires from nose gear air-ground sensor conduit broken. They were sticking out about 90 degrees from conduit. I have found these broken wires on a few aircraft. Because of their location and the retraction of the nose gear, it seems to be happening more. The technician who repaired it wrapped it per the maintenance manual and created a deferral. I made the original write-up on the aircraft. After my 3 days off (wkend), I was brought into the office and discharged for making excessive write-ups. During the course of 6-8 months, I have written up about 6-9 conduits. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated an FAA safety inspector called his attention to a worn electrical conduit with exposed wiring on a B737-300 nose gear ground safety circuit. The reporter said the conduit was repaired prior to departure and departed satisfying the inspector. The reporter stated the worn conduit is located in the right side of the nosewheel well aft bulkhead above the nose gear steering bypass valve. The reporter said frequent checks on aircraft passing through the station found 8 more worn conduits with exposed wiring, some with bare wires, and were written up for maintenance action. The reporter stated because of contract negotiations the company construed this to be a job action and he was terminated. The reporter said after 6 weeks without pay, he was called back to work but has written up no worn nose gear conduits.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TECHNICIAN RPTS CONDUIT CHAFFING AND EXPOSED ELECTRICAL WIRES ON B737-300 NOSE GEAR AIR-GND SENSOR WIRING.

Narrative: ON WALKAROUND, FOUND SEVERAL WIRES FROM NOSE GEAR AIR-GND SENSOR CONDUIT BROKEN. THEY WERE STICKING OUT ABOUT 90 DEGS FROM CONDUIT. I HAVE FOUND THESE BROKEN WIRES ON A FEW ACFT. BECAUSE OF THEIR LOCATION AND THE RETRACTION OF THE NOSE GEAR, IT SEEMS TO BE HAPPENING MORE. THE TECHNICIAN WHO REPAIRED IT WRAPPED IT PER THE MAINT MANUAL AND CREATED A DEFERRAL. I MADE THE ORIGINAL WRITE-UP ON THE ACFT. AFTER MY 3 DAYS OFF (WKEND), I WAS BROUGHT INTO THE OFFICE AND DISCHARGED FOR MAKING EXCESSIVE WRITE-UPS. DURING THE COURSE OF 6-8 MONTHS, I HAVE WRITTEN UP ABOUT 6-9 CONDUITS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR CALLED HIS ATTN TO A WORN ELECTRICAL CONDUIT WITH EXPOSED WIRING ON A B737-300 NOSE GEAR GND SAFETY CIRCUIT. THE RPTR SAID THE CONDUIT WAS REPAIRED PRIOR TO DEP AND DEPARTED SATISFYING THE INSPECTOR. THE RPTR STATED THE WORN CONDUIT IS LOCATED IN THE R SIDE OF THE NOSEWHEEL WELL AFT BULKHEAD ABOVE THE NOSE GEAR STEERING BYPASS VALVE. THE RPTR SAID FREQUENT CHKS ON ACFT PASSING THROUGH THE STATION FOUND 8 MORE WORN CONDUITS WITH EXPOSED WIRING, SOME WITH BARE WIRES, AND WERE WRITTEN UP FOR MAINT ACTION. THE RPTR STATED BECAUSE OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS THE COMPANY CONSTRUED THIS TO BE A JOB ACTION AND HE WAS TERMINATED. THE RPTR SAID AFTER 6 WKS WITHOUT PAY, HE WAS CALLED BACK TO WORK BUT HAS WRITTEN UP NO WORN NOSE GEAR CONDUITS.

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.