Narrative:

I was asked to pick up on another inspector's work. I reported to the aircraft on dock location and was told I needed to buy the propeller sensor clearance then do the go around swing. I asked for paperwork and was handed a pattern card. The mechanics were unorganized and not sure what to do. I asked every mechanic there if they had ever performed the job and they all said no. I asked to see their supervisor and crew chief. They came to dock location and I asked them if they had ever performed the job. They said no. I then suggested to them to get a technical crew chief. At that point one of the mechanics told me to get some 'balls' and buy the gear. I went to my supervisor and told him. I then went down to dock location and asked those mechanics if they had ever performed the job, and they said no. The work that was being performed was the same as on dock location with the exception of the drag link bushings had not been replaced on the aircraft on dock location, but the paperwork was a technician's non routine write-up and not a pattern card. I went to my supervisor about the discrepancy and he made a phone call and said it was ok. I asked the mechanics on dock location if they had ever performed the job and they said no. I was informed by a co-worker that there is a problem. Supplemental information from acn 596051: on sep/wed/03, I was working on an initial inspection on aircraft Y, when a fellow inspector was covering several drop-in aircraft, when a mechanic asked for a buy-off on a drag link bolt. He was busy on another aircraft, so I said I would check the torque and safeties of lower drag link pivot bolt. I stamped off block TA of airline's pattern card, being told by the mechanic that it was the last part of installation and assuming everything else had been checked and I unknowingly signed for work that had not been looked at.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 INSPECTOR RPTS 2 CREWS REPLACING NOSE GEAR DRAG LINKS ARE LACKING JOB EXPERIENCE AS NONE HAD PERFORMED THE JOB PREVIOUSLY.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO PICK UP ON ANOTHER INSPECTOR'S WORK. I RPTED TO THE ACFT ON DOCK LOCATION AND WAS TOLD I NEEDED TO BUY THE PROP SENSOR CLRNC THEN DO THE GAR SWING. I ASKED FOR PAPERWORK AND WAS HANDED A PATTERN CARD. THE MECHS WERE UNORGANIZED AND NOT SURE WHAT TO DO. I ASKED EVERY MECH THERE IF THEY HAD EVER PERFORMED THE JOB AND THEY ALL SAID NO. I ASKED TO SEE THEIR SUPVR AND CREW CHIEF. THEY CAME TO DOCK LOCATION AND I ASKED THEM IF THEY HAD EVER PERFORMED THE JOB. THEY SAID NO. I THEN SUGGESTED TO THEM TO GET A TECHNICAL CREW CHIEF. AT THAT POINT ONE OF THE MECHS TOLD ME TO GET SOME 'BALLS' AND BUY THE GEAR. I WENT TO MY SUPVR AND TOLD HIM. I THEN WENT DOWN TO DOCK LOCATION AND ASKED THOSE MECHS IF THEY HAD EVER PERFORMED THE JOB, AND THEY SAID NO. THE WORK THAT WAS BEING PERFORMED WAS THE SAME AS ON DOCK LOCATION WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE DRAG LINK BUSHINGS HAD NOT BEEN REPLACED ON THE ACFT ON DOCK LOCATION, BUT THE PAPERWORK WAS A TECHNICIAN'S NON ROUTINE WRITE-UP AND NOT A PATTERN CARD. I WENT TO MY SUPVR ABOUT THE DISCREPANCY AND HE MADE A PHONE CALL AND SAID IT WAS OK. I ASKED THE MECHS ON DOCK LOCATION IF THEY HAD EVER PERFORMED THE JOB AND THEY SAID NO. I WAS INFORMED BY A CO-WORKER THAT THERE IS A PROB. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 596051: ON SEP/WED/03, I WAS WORKING ON AN INITIAL INSPECTION ON ACFT Y, WHEN A FELLOW INSPECTOR WAS COVERING SEVERAL DROP-IN ACFT, WHEN A MECH ASKED FOR A BUY-OFF ON A DRAG LINK BOLT. HE WAS BUSY ON ANOTHER ACFT, SO I SAID I WOULD CHK THE TORQUE AND SAFETIES OF LOWER DRAG LINK PIVOT BOLT. I STAMPED OFF BLOCK TA OF AIRLINE'S PATTERN CARD, BEING TOLD BY THE MECH THAT IT WAS THE LAST PART OF INSTALLATION AND ASSUMING EVERYTHING ELSE HAD BEEN CHKED AND I UNKNOWINGLY SIGNED FOR WORK THAT HAD NOT BEEN LOOKED AT.

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.