Narrative:

The tow bar shear bolts were broken on pushback of aircraft X for flight abc. I was asked to go out the gate and check the nose gear for damage. Before I went out to the aircraft; I checked the B767 maintenance manual; chapter 5; that contains the conditional inspections for incidents like this; such as lightning strike inspections; bird strike inspections; etc. I found nothing pertaining to broken tow bar inspections. There was a conditional inspection for exceeding the tow limits but nothing pertaining to broken tow bars. I proceeded to the aircraft; which was by now parked back on the gate. I performed a visual inspection of the nose landing gear including wheels; tires; strut surface; tow lug; trunnion; torque links; steering actuators and the area where the trunnion attaches to the aircraft structure. I also performed an operations check of the nosewheel steering left and right. I found no signs of damage and no signs of any fluid leakage from the nose strut. I asked the flight crew to make a number logbook entry stating that the tow bar had broken on pushback and I signed off the logbook in the action taken column as 'checked nose gear and wheel well for damage. None found. Ok for service' and the aircraft departed without further incident. After returning to the maintenance office; I didn't feel quite right about not finding a conditional inspection for a broken tow bar. I doublechked chapter 5 of the aircraft maintenance manual again finding nothing. I next began searching the gpm; where in chapter 11-03 abnormal conditions action required I found that I should have accomplished the inspection using mcm section 12 work card. After reviewing the scope and detail of the mcm work card; I determined that I had indeed accomplished all the items that were required to be inspected; but by this time the aircraft had departed 30 mins prior; so I was unable to correct the logbook entry. I next called technician and explained what had happened and was advised that they would notify the destination station and ask them to perform the inspection per the mcm work card. I then called aircraft maintenance in ZZZ1 personally and explained what happened and asked them to perform the inspection per the work card; which they did and signed off in the aircraft logbook. I feel that the safety of the aircraft was never compromised. The aircraft was in fact inspected twice with no damage found in either inspection.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767 TOW BAR SHEAR BOLTS WERE BROKEN ON PUSHBACK. INSPECTOR WAS UNABLE TO FIND REQUIRED INSPECTION PROC. FOUND REQUIREMENTS IN GPM.

Narrative: THE TOW BAR SHEAR BOLTS WERE BROKEN ON PUSHBACK OF ACFT X FOR FLT ABC. I WAS ASKED TO GO OUT THE GATE AND CHK THE NOSE GEAR FOR DAMAGE. BEFORE I WENT OUT TO THE ACFT; I CHKED THE B767 MAINT MANUAL; CHAPTER 5; THAT CONTAINS THE CONDITIONAL INSPECTIONS FOR INCIDENTS LIKE THIS; SUCH AS LIGHTNING STRIKE INSPECTIONS; BIRD STRIKE INSPECTIONS; ETC. I FOUND NOTHING PERTAINING TO BROKEN TOW BAR INSPECTIONS. THERE WAS A CONDITIONAL INSPECTION FOR EXCEEDING THE TOW LIMITS BUT NOTHING PERTAINING TO BROKEN TOW BARS. I PROCEEDED TO THE ACFT; WHICH WAS BY NOW PARKED BACK ON THE GATE. I PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR INCLUDING WHEELS; TIRES; STRUT SURFACE; TOW LUG; TRUNNION; TORQUE LINKS; STEERING ACTUATORS AND THE AREA WHERE THE TRUNNION ATTACHES TO THE ACFT STRUCTURE. I ALSO PERFORMED AN OPS CHK OF THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING L AND R. I FOUND NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE AND NO SIGNS OF ANY FLUID LEAKAGE FROM THE NOSE STRUT. I ASKED THE FLT CREW TO MAKE A NUMBER LOGBOOK ENTRY STATING THAT THE TOW BAR HAD BROKEN ON PUSHBACK AND I SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK IN THE ACTION TAKEN COLUMN AS 'CHKED NOSE GEAR AND WHEEL WELL FOR DAMAGE. NONE FOUND. OK FOR SVC' AND THE ACFT DEPARTED WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. AFTER RETURNING TO THE MAINT OFFICE; I DIDN'T FEEL QUITE RIGHT ABOUT NOT FINDING A CONDITIONAL INSPECTION FOR A BROKEN TOW BAR. I DOUBLECHKED CHAPTER 5 OF THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL AGAIN FINDING NOTHING. I NEXT BEGAN SEARCHING THE GPM; WHERE IN CHAPTER 11-03 ABNORMAL CONDITIONS ACTION REQUIRED I FOUND THAT I SHOULD HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE INSPECTION USING MCM SECTION 12 WORK CARD. AFTER REVIEWING THE SCOPE AND DETAIL OF THE MCM WORK CARD; I DETERMINED THAT I HAD INDEED ACCOMPLISHED ALL THE ITEMS THAT WERE REQUIRED TO BE INSPECTED; BUT BY THIS TIME THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED 30 MINS PRIOR; SO I WAS UNABLE TO CORRECT THE LOGBOOK ENTRY. I NEXT CALLED TECHNICIAN AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND WAS ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD NOTIFY THE DEST STATION AND ASK THEM TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION PER THE MCM WORK CARD. I THEN CALLED ACFT MAINT IN ZZZ1 PERSONALLY AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAPPENED AND ASKED THEM TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION PER THE WORK CARD; WHICH THEY DID AND SIGNED OFF IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK. I FEEL THAT THE SAFETY OF THE ACFT WAS NEVER COMPROMISED. THE ACFT WAS IN FACT INSPECTED TWICE WITH NO DAMAGE FOUND IN EITHER INSPECTION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.