Narrative:

I was just informed that for an extended period of time between apr/thu/04, and may/mon/04, that the ramp personnel in ZZZ have replaced sheared shear pins in towbar with grade eight bolts. The implication is serious enough that I felt compelled to file this report. To date, it is my understanding that there have been several events over the above mentioned period of towbars shearing shear pins and being replaced by ramp personnel with grade eight bolts. This action could cause serious nose gear steering, retraction or extension problems to any aircraft that were involved and have been to ZZZ recently. I have also been told that there were instances where the towbar shear pins sheared and the air crew did not call for an inspection of the nose gear in ZZZ. Our airline has no airport technicians working in that classification based out of ZZZ and it is now covered by contracted technicians whom were not called to handle any of these events.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 AND MD80 ACFT HAD IMPROPER NOSE LNDG GEAR TOWBAR SHEAR BOLTS INSTALLED BY RAMP PERSONNEL AND NOSE GEAR NOT INSPECTED AFTER BOLTS SHEARED.

Narrative: I WAS JUST INFORMED THAT FOR AN EXTENDED PERIOD OF TIME BTWN APR/THU/04, AND MAY/MON/04, THAT THE RAMP PERSONNEL IN ZZZ HAVE REPLACED SHEARED SHEAR PINS IN TOWBAR WITH GRADE EIGHT BOLTS. THE IMPLICATION IS SERIOUS ENOUGH THAT I FELT COMPELLED TO FILE THIS RPT. TO DATE, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL EVENTS OVER THE ABOVE MENTIONED PERIOD OF TOWBARS SHEARING SHEAR PINS AND BEING REPLACED BY RAMP PERSONNEL WITH GRADE EIGHT BOLTS. THIS ACTION COULD CAUSE SERIOUS NOSE GEAR STEERING, RETRACTION OR EXTENSION PROBS TO ANY ACFT THAT WERE INVOLVED AND HAVE BEEN TO ZZZ RECENTLY. I HAVE ALSO BEEN TOLD THAT THERE WERE INSTANCES WHERE THE TOWBAR SHEAR PINS SHEARED AND THE AIR CREW DID NOT CALL FOR AN INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR IN ZZZ. OUR AIRLINE HAS NO ARPT TECHNICIANS WORKING IN THAT CLASSIFICATION BASED OUT OF ZZZ AND IT IS NOW COVERED BY CONTRACTED TECHNICIANS WHOM WERE NOT CALLED TO HANDLE ANY OF THESE EVENTS.

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.