Narrative:

On jul/sun/03, I was assigned to work aircraft along with 3 other mechanics. One was assigned the time replacement on the #2 engine while I was assigned the time replacement on the nose gear. Two were to perform the service check. My leads that night was foreman X who asked if I had ever done the time replacement before and I informed him that I had not, he told me there was noting to it. Since I had never performed this task and I was working by myself, I reviewed the package that I was given and it included the correct maintenance manual reference. I started the disassembly of the torque links and steering collar continually checking the manual for the correct procedure. I had a lot of difficulties during this process and I had to ask for assistance. I gathered all of the new parts together that I needed for reassembly and greased those that were required. Upon completion of greasing the parts, I had asked mr X if he could assist me with the installation of the bearing. Mr X told me that it was lunch time and he would help when he returned from the line where he left his lunch. During this time, I reviewed the steps again for the reassembly. When mr X returned to the hangar, I had noticed him sitting at the table outside smoking a cigar. I had figured he might have forgotten that I had requested his assistance. I approached mr X and reminded him that I had requested his assistance. He told me that he had forgot. I was waiting for him to finish what he was doing when mr Y arrived and asked how things were going and mr X told him that I needed assistance installing the bearing and asked if he would mind pulling the steering actuators back while I installed the forward bearing, he said he would. By this time, it was about XA30 and I knew time was running out and I had wanted to finish this job by the end of the shift to show them that I could do it. About XD00, a mechanic from dayshift came by and started asking me questions and giving me some tips. I told him that I had been following the steps in the manual due to the fact I had never done this before. After hearing this, he appeared to be upset and said, 'you mean to tell me that they had you on this by yourself?' I told him yes, for about 90% of the job. He said that was 'bs' because that was normally a 2 man job, especially if someone had never done it before. After hearing this, I started getting the feeling that I had been set up. About XD15, mr X came over and asked if I wanted to stay and finish. By this time, I was angry. I told him, 'hell no!' he then told me to give a turnover to the gentleman that I had been talking to. At that time, the mechanic from dayshift told mr X, 'I cannot believe that you guys had him on this by himself,' and told him that was 'bs.' mr X then stated that he and mr Y had been working the service check. I then proceeded to pick up my tools and returned to the line. I was off for the next 3 days. When I returned, I was informed by my other foreman what had happened. The events that I described are what happened. I am not putting the blame on anyone. The bottom-line is that I was assigned a task and the responsibility for that task is mine. Whether there was a lack of support, supervision or just being rushed to finish the job the responsibility for this task is mine.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS RETURNED TO SVC IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH NOSE GEAR STEERING COLLARS AND STEERING ACTUATOR BEARINGS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY.

Narrative: ON JUL/SUN/03, I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK ACFT ALONG WITH 3 OTHER MECHS. ONE WAS ASSIGNED THE TIME REPLACEMENT ON THE #2 ENG WHILE I WAS ASSIGNED THE TIME REPLACEMENT ON THE NOSE GEAR. TWO WERE TO PERFORM THE SVC CHK. MY LEADS THAT NIGHT WAS FOREMAN X WHO ASKED IF I HAD EVER DONE THE TIME REPLACEMENT BEFORE AND I INFORMED HIM THAT I HAD NOT, HE TOLD ME THERE WAS NOTING TO IT. SINCE I HAD NEVER PERFORMED THIS TASK AND I WAS WORKING BY MYSELF, I REVIEWED THE PACKAGE THAT I WAS GIVEN AND IT INCLUDED THE CORRECT MAINT MANUAL REF. I STARTED THE DISASSEMBLY OF THE TORQUE LINKS AND STEERING COLLAR CONTINUALLY CHKING THE MANUAL FOR THE CORRECT PROC. I HAD A LOT OF DIFFICULTIES DURING THIS PROCESS AND I HAD TO ASK FOR ASSISTANCE. I GATHERED ALL OF THE NEW PARTS TOGETHER THAT I NEEDED FOR REASSEMBLY AND GREASED THOSE THAT WERE REQUIRED. UPON COMPLETION OF GREASING THE PARTS, I HAD ASKED MR X IF HE COULD ASSIST ME WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE BEARING. MR X TOLD ME THAT IT WAS LUNCH TIME AND HE WOULD HELP WHEN HE RETURNED FROM THE LINE WHERE HE LEFT HIS LUNCH. DURING THIS TIME, I REVIEWED THE STEPS AGAIN FOR THE REASSEMBLY. WHEN MR X RETURNED TO THE HANGAR, I HAD NOTICED HIM SITTING AT THE TABLE OUTSIDE SMOKING A CIGAR. I HAD FIGURED HE MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN THAT I HAD REQUESTED HIS ASSISTANCE. I APCHED MR X AND REMINDED HIM THAT I HAD REQUESTED HIS ASSISTANCE. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD FORGOT. I WAS WAITING FOR HIM TO FINISH WHAT HE WAS DOING WHEN MR Y ARRIVED AND ASKED HOW THINGS WERE GOING AND MR X TOLD HIM THAT I NEEDED ASSISTANCE INSTALLING THE BEARING AND ASKED IF HE WOULD MIND PULLING THE STEERING ACTUATORS BACK WHILE I INSTALLED THE FORWARD BEARING, HE SAID HE WOULD. BY THIS TIME, IT WAS ABOUT XA30 AND I KNEW TIME WAS RUNNING OUT AND I HAD WANTED TO FINISH THIS JOB BY THE END OF THE SHIFT TO SHOW THEM THAT I COULD DO IT. ABOUT XD00, A MECH FROM DAYSHIFT CAME BY AND STARTED ASKING ME QUESTIONS AND GIVING ME SOME TIPS. I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD BEEN FOLLOWING THE STEPS IN THE MANUAL DUE TO THE FACT I HAD NEVER DONE THIS BEFORE. AFTER HEARING THIS, HE APPEARED TO BE UPSET AND SAID, 'YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THAT THEY HAD YOU ON THIS BY YOURSELF?' I TOLD HIM YES, FOR ABOUT 90% OF THE JOB. HE SAID THAT WAS 'BS' BECAUSE THAT WAS NORMALLY A 2 MAN JOB, ESPECIALLY IF SOMEONE HAD NEVER DONE IT BEFORE. AFTER HEARING THIS, I STARTED GETTING THE FEELING THAT I HAD BEEN SET UP. ABOUT XD15, MR X CAME OVER AND ASKED IF I WANTED TO STAY AND FINISH. BY THIS TIME, I WAS ANGRY. I TOLD HIM, 'HELL NO!' HE THEN TOLD ME TO GIVE A TURNOVER TO THE GENTLEMAN THAT I HAD BEEN TALKING TO. AT THAT TIME, THE MECH FROM DAYSHIFT TOLD MR X, 'I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT YOU GUYS HAD HIM ON THIS BY HIMSELF,' AND TOLD HIM THAT WAS 'BS.' MR X THEN STATED THAT HE AND MR Y HAD BEEN WORKING THE SVC CHK. I THEN PROCEEDED TO PICK UP MY TOOLS AND RETURNED TO THE LINE. I WAS OFF FOR THE NEXT 3 DAYS. WHEN I RETURNED, I WAS INFORMED BY MY OTHER FOREMAN WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE EVENTS THAT I DESCRIBED ARE WHAT HAPPENED. I AM NOT PUTTING THE BLAME ON ANYONE. THE BOTTOM-LINE IS THAT I WAS ASSIGNED A TASK AND THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT TASK IS MINE. WHETHER THERE WAS A LACK OF SUPPORT, SUPERVISION OR JUST BEING RUSHED TO FINISH THE JOB THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THIS TASK IS MINE.

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.