Narrative:

Was taking care of a writeup generated by a technician on a 'heavy check' engine. The 777's in our fleet have been experiencing problems with the fuel pressure switch on the engines: the associated wiring harness. It has been previously discovered that the failure of this switch or plug generates no messages in flight deck to pilots (from what I understand, engineering flaw). In any case, I found harness part for the associated unit damaged beyond repair. We did not have a new harness in stock at the station before the aircraft would depart. I sought assistance from my lead. I was told this item was a carry forward. I should use the standard reference of mop 5-0-100-1 and that I should tie/protect the damaged harness part back out of way instead of reinstalling, risk damaging engine switch. I did as I was directed. Later in the evening, I received a call from station maintenance management and was told I needed to call back with information on my carry forward item, since system line maintenance control said I made an improper deferral. I did not say what I did with connector (I protected and tied back) and they said I did not inoperative system. Since my lead had experienced this many times before he did not say I had to inoperative system. He told me I only needed to tie back damaged harness. I called back our station maintenance controller, relayed the information I was directed and did. I was told when aircraft arrived back engine was opened up and connector in question was found tied back correctly. After that I was told upon my return back to work I was to call our system line maintenance controller for 777's and I was to answer questions from them tonight. I did fail to update item that I tied back and protected damaged connector. I just put in my carry forward item, that we had no parts. I don't know if the aircraft took a delay or if it was removed from its planned routing. I was not sure how to defer this item, so I asked my lead for help. Though I was the one who deferred this item, I thought I was doing my paperwork and actions correctly, minus not giving enough information on my tieback action.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A LONG TERM DEFERRED ITEM WITH INADEQUATE INFO ON HOW THE ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS TIED BACK AND PROTECTED.

Narrative: WAS TAKING CARE OF A WRITEUP GENERATED BY A TECHNICIAN ON A 'HVY CHK' ENG. THE 777'S IN OUR FLEET HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING PROBS WITH THE FUEL PRESSURE SWITCH ON THE ENGS: THE ASSOCIATED WIRING HARNESS. IT HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY DISCOVERED THAT THE FAILURE OF THIS SWITCH OR PLUG GENERATES NO MESSAGES IN FLT DECK TO PLTS (FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, ENGINEERING FLAW). IN ANY CASE, I FOUND HARNESS PART FOR THE ASSOCIATED UNIT DAMAGED BEYOND REPAIR. WE DID NOT HAVE A NEW HARNESS IN STOCK AT THE STATION BEFORE THE ACFT WOULD DEPART. I SOUGHT ASSISTANCE FROM MY LEAD. I WAS TOLD THIS ITEM WAS A CARRY FORWARD. I SHOULD USE THE STANDARD REF OF MOP 5-0-100-1 AND THAT I SHOULD TIE/PROTECT THE DAMAGED HARNESS PART BACK OUT OF WAY INSTEAD OF REINSTALLING, RISK DAMAGING ENG SWITCH. I DID AS I WAS DIRECTED. LATER IN THE EVENING, I RECEIVED A CALL FROM STATION MAINT MGMNT AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO CALL BACK WITH INFO ON MY CARRY FORWARD ITEM, SINCE SYS LINE MAINT CTL SAID I MADE AN IMPROPER DEFERRAL. I DID NOT SAY WHAT I DID WITH CONNECTOR (I PROTECTED AND TIED BACK) AND THEY SAID I DID NOT INOP SYS. SINCE MY LEAD HAD EXPERIENCED THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE HE DID NOT SAY I HAD TO INOP SYS. HE TOLD ME I ONLY NEEDED TO TIE BACK DAMAGED HARNESS. I CALLED BACK OUR STATION MAINT CTLR, RELAYED THE INFO I WAS DIRECTED AND DID. I WAS TOLD WHEN ACFT ARRIVED BACK ENG WAS OPENED UP AND CONNECTOR IN QUESTION WAS FOUND TIED BACK CORRECTLY. AFTER THAT I WAS TOLD UPON MY RETURN BACK TO WORK I WAS TO CALL OUR SYS LINE MAINT CTLR FOR 777'S AND I WAS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS FROM THEM TONIGHT. I DID FAIL TO UPDATE ITEM THAT I TIED BACK AND PROTECTED DAMAGED CONNECTOR. I JUST PUT IN MY CARRY FORWARD ITEM, THAT WE HAD NO PARTS. I DON'T KNOW IF THE ACFT TOOK A DELAY OR IF IT WAS REMOVED FROM ITS PLANNED ROUTING. I WAS NOT SURE HOW TO DEFER THIS ITEM, SO I ASKED MY LEAD FOR HELP. THOUGH I WAS THE ONE WHO DEFERRED THIS ITEM, I THOUGHT I WAS DOING MY PAPERWORK AND ACTIONS CORRECTLY, MINUS NOT GIVING ENOUGH INFO ON MY TIEBACK 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.