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Director of maintenance, of a flight school, told a mechanic to attempt a repair of a transponder in non compliance with far 91 pt 431.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 629236 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200408 |
| Day | Tue |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : atl.tower |
| Operator | general aviation : instructional |
| Make Model Name | Skyhawk 172/Cutlass 172 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 91 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| Experience | maintenance lead technician : 1 maintenance technician : 1 |
| ASRS Report | 629236 |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : 4 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Company |
Narrative:
Our flight school with over 20 aircraft C172 duchess beechcraft, would have transponder with mode C failure every once in a while. We normally would send it to the local avionics shop, few hangars down, being aware that we're not qualified to touch it. Recently the school has change of ownership and in 6 months, we went through 3 directors of maintenance, the last had worked for FAA at one time. One of the C172 had a transponder failure in-flight and came in the shop. Our director of maintenance, from the pressure he is getting from the owner who complained about the bill from the avionics shop being too much, instructed us to check connections, cleaned them, look for security of wirings, antennas and sent it back, which I did and at the time didn't think I violated far 91 pt 413, because I didn't physically open the unit. I realized the violation when I was told by the avionics guys after the aircraft had the same problem and we had sent it to the avionics shop.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DIRECTOR OF MAINT, OF A FLT SCHOOL, TOLD A MECH TO ATTEMPT A REPAIR OF A XPONDER IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH FAR 91 PT 431.
Narrative: OUR FLT SCHOOL WITH OVER 20 ACFT C172 DUCHESS BEECHCRAFT, WOULD HAVE XPONDER WITH MODE C FAILURE EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. WE NORMALLY WOULD SEND IT TO THE LCL AVIONICS SHOP, FEW HANGARS DOWN, BEING AWARE THAT WE'RE NOT QUALIFIED TO TOUCH IT. RECENTLY THE SCHOOL HAS CHANGE OF OWNERSHIP AND IN 6 MONTHS, WE WENT THROUGH 3 DIRECTORS OF MAINT, THE LAST HAD WORKED FOR FAA AT ONE TIME. ONE OF THE C172 HAD A XPONDER FAILURE INFLT AND CAME IN THE SHOP. OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT, FROM THE PRESSURE HE IS GETTING FROM THE OWNER WHO COMPLAINED ABOUT THE BILL FROM THE AVIONICS SHOP BEING TOO MUCH, INSTRUCTED US TO CHK CONNECTIONS, CLEANED THEM, LOOK FOR SECURITY OF WIRINGS, ANTENNAS AND SENT IT BACK, WHICH I DID AND AT THE TIME DIDN'T THINK I VIOLATED FAR 91 PT 413, BECAUSE I DIDN'T PHYSICALLY OPEN THE UNIT. I REALIZED THE VIOLATION WHEN I WAS TOLD BY THE AVIONICS GUYS AFTER THE ACFT HAD THE SAME PROB AND WE HAD SENT IT TO THE AVIONICS SHOP.
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.