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A B737-200 was grounded after a safety inspection by an FAA safety inspector looking at rivets. 40 rivets written up as needing replacement.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 594500 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200309 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : lead technician |
| Qualification | technician : airframe technician : powerplant |
| Experience | maintenance lead technician : 1 maintenance technician : 14 |
| ASRS Report | 594500 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : person 2 |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance FAA Chart Or Publication Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | FAA |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Structural Repair Manual |
Narrative:
Aircraft was inspected by FAA (ride along inspector) who felt that more than 40 odd solid rivets at 2 locations were in need of replacement. Location was at #2 engine inboard cowl door 6 rivets total, two of which were replaced. 35 odd rivets were idented as bad at leading edge of #1 air conditioning air inlet, only one of which was replaced. All other rivets were inspected and found sound per srm 51-30-02. It is my belief that this item could have been resolved by MEL/deferral instead of grounding the aircraft and causing unnecessary passenger/delay and direct and serious cost to the company. This FAA inspector clearly needs to be further educated on his job and the structural repair manual. He is, by his actions, detracting from the FAA stated mission of safety by showing his total lack of experience.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-200 WAS GROUNDED AFTER A SAFETY INSPECTION BY AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR LOOKING AT RIVETS. 40 RIVETS WRITTEN UP AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT.
Narrative: ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY FAA (RIDE ALONG INSPECTOR) WHO FELT THAT MORE THAN 40 ODD SOLID RIVETS AT 2 LOCATIONS WERE IN NEED OF REPLACEMENT. LOCATION WAS AT #2 ENG INBOARD COWL DOOR 6 RIVETS TOTAL, TWO OF WHICH WERE REPLACED. 35 ODD RIVETS WERE IDENTED AS BAD AT LEADING EDGE OF #1 AIR CONDITIONING AIR INLET, ONLY ONE OF WHICH WAS REPLACED. ALL OTHER RIVETS WERE INSPECTED AND FOUND SOUND PER SRM 51-30-02. IT IS MY BELIEF THAT THIS ITEM COULD HAVE BEEN RESOLVED BY MEL/DEFERRAL INSTEAD OF GROUNDING THE ACFT AND CAUSING UNNECESSARY PAX/DELAY AND DIRECT AND SERIOUS COST TO THE COMPANY. THIS FAA INSPECTOR CLRLY NEEDS TO BE FURTHER EDUCATED ON HIS JOB AND THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL. HE IS, BY HIS ACTIONS, DETRACTING FROM THE FAA STATED MISSION OF SAFETY BY SHOWING HIS TOTAL LACK OF EXPERIENCE.
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.