<< >> NASA ASRS Report 595374, October 2003

An airbus 320 was dispatched in non compliance with an interim repair to the right engine starter valve wiring. Interim repair not deferred or entered in logbook.

Attributes
ACN	595374
Time
Date	200310
Day	Fri
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	A320
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : lead technician
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
Experience	maintenance lead technician : 5 maintenance technician : 30
ASRS Report	595374
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : start valve indication other other : person 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : briefing contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication Environmental Factor Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was in a delay. The #2 engine starter had a chronic problem and was deferred. The day shift technicians found a bare wire grounding to engine, causing the intermittent operation of the starter valve. During the turnover, much of the information about what had been done and what was left to do was misinterped. This led to the paperwork not being written up and signed off properly. The interim repair was missed in the paperwork as was the deferral. When the oncoming mechanics took over, they assumed that the repair was done and they closed cowls and dispatched the aircraft. As the lead, I was led to believe that the repair had been made and everything was good to go. The next day, I was informed otherwise. The paperwork at this facility is getting sloppy. Turnovers are non existent and too much is slipping through the cracks. Combined with manager who has no leadership, this problem will only get worse.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN INTERIM REPAIR TO THE R ENG STARTER VALVE WIRING. INTERIM REPAIR NOT DEFERRED OR ENTERED IN LOGBOOK.

Narrative: ACFT WAS IN A DELAY. THE #2 ENG STARTER HAD A CHRONIC PROB AND WAS DEFERRED. THE DAY SHIFT TECHNICIANS FOUND A BARE WIRE GNDING TO ENG, CAUSING THE INTERMITTENT OP OF THE STARTER VALVE. DURING THE TURNOVER, MUCH OF THE INFO ABOUT WHAT HAD BEEN DONE AND WHAT WAS LEFT TO DO WAS MISINTERPED. THIS LED TO THE PAPERWORK NOT BEING WRITTEN UP AND SIGNED OFF PROPERLY. THE INTERIM REPAIR WAS MISSED IN THE PAPERWORK AS WAS THE DEFERRAL. WHEN THE ONCOMING MECHS TOOK OVER, THEY ASSUMED THAT THE REPAIR WAS DONE AND THEY CLOSED COWLS AND DISPATCHED THE ACFT. AS THE LEAD, I WAS LED TO BELIEVE THAT THE REPAIR HAD BEEN MADE AND EVERYTHING WAS GOOD TO GO. THE NEXT DAY, I WAS INFORMED OTHERWISE. THE PAPERWORK AT THIS FACILITY IS GETTING SLOPPY. TURNOVERS ARE NON EXISTENT AND TOO MUCH IS SLIPPING THROUGH THE CRACKS. COMBINED WITH MGR WHO HAS NO LEADERSHIP, THIS PROB WILL ONLY GET WORSE.

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.