Narrative:

I was assigned to complete two service bulletins for the inspection and replacement of the aileron wing control cable pulleys. The aircraft had been outside for engine runs and had approximately 4600 pounds of fuel on board. While gathering my maintenance material; I noted that after the pulleys were replaced; the control cable tension had to be set. The rigging instructions for the aileron control cables referred to the general rigging instructions in amm-27-00-00. Job set up under general rigging instructions states that the aircraft is to be de-fueled and put up on jacks. There is also a note under set up stating that when doing the wing cable clearance checks that the aircraft must be de-fueled; jacked; have both engines mounted; and have the interior installed. I informed my supervisor and lead that the aircraft required de-fueling prior to the cable tensions being done per the general rigging instructions. The supervisor contacted the acting program manager who stated that the aircraft only had to be de-fueled when performing the wing cable clearance checks as per the note in the job set up. He further argued that the wing clearance checks had been previously complied with. An inspector and I looked at the left wing and found that the cables were completely slack and that the tension regulator lock bag was installed. Thus clearance checks were impossible to comply with. With fuel still onboard; we jacked up the aircraft and I replaced the pulleys required on the left wing. I did not replace the pulley required on the right wing because there was only one tension regulator lock bar; and it was in use on the left wing. To use the lock bar meant setting the tension on the left wing so I could remove the lock bar. I signed off the replacement of the pulleys on the left wing and had an inspector stamp for it. Under my sign off; I made a note stating that the aircraft needed to be de-fueled prior to setting cable tensions. When I returned to work on sat/apr/2005; I was told that the aircraft had been returned to service without de-fueling it to perform the cable tensions. The underlying problems were the cost of de-fueling the aircraft; both the cost of the fuel and the man hours used; and management's push to deliver the aircraft. The aircraft was due to deliver on sat and it was delivered two days prior. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the airplane came into the hangar with 4600 pounds of fuel and the cable pulleys were inspected and on a visual check the cables were found slack. The cable tension adjustment was required to be accomplished first after the pulley replacements and before checking cable clearance. On the start of the service bulletin procedure it stated the airplane was to be de-fueled and put on jacks. The de-fueling was overruled by the program manager who stated the cable clearance had already been checked before the pulleys were replaced. Keeping in mind the cables were already found slack on the preliminary inspection. The airplane was jacked and the pulley replacement was accomplished on the left wing only as only one tension regulator was available at the facility. The cables were not tensioned and a non routine card was written that stated the airplane must be de-fueled prior to adjusting the cable tension and checking cable clearance. On returning to work after days off; the airplane was released for service without de-fueling to accomplish cable tension rigging.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR ALLEGES A CRJ200 IN A CONTRACT MAINT FACILITY FOR AILERON WING CTL CABLE PULLEY REPLACEMENT HAD IMPROPER MAINT PROCS USED; DUE TO DELIVERY DEADLINE.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO COMPLETE TWO SERVICE BULLETINS FOR THE INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT OF THE AILERON WING CTL CABLE PULLEYS. THE ACFT HAD BEEN OUTSIDE FOR ENG RUNS AND HAD APPROX 4600 POUNDS OF FUEL ON BOARD. WHILE GATHERING MY MAINT MATERIAL; I NOTED THAT AFTER THE PULLEYS WERE REPLACED; THE CTL CABLE TENSION HAD TO BE SET. THE RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE AILERON CTL CABLES REFERRED TO THE GENERAL RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS IN AMM-27-00-00. JOB SET UP UNDER GENERAL RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS STATES THAT THE ACFT IS TO BE DE-FUELED AND PUT UP ON JACKS. THERE IS ALSO A NOTE UNDER SET UP STATING THAT WHEN DOING THE WING CABLE CLRNC CHKS THAT THE ACFT MUST BE DE-FUELED; JACKED; HAVE BOTH ENGS MOUNTED; AND HAVE THE INTERIOR INSTALLED. I INFORMED MY SUPERVISOR AND LEAD THAT THE ACFT REQUIRED DE-FUELING PRIOR TO THE CABLE TENSIONS BEING DONE PER THE GENERAL RIGGING INSTRUCTIONS. THE SUPERVISOR CONTACTED THE ACTING PROGRAM MANAGER WHO STATED THAT THE ACFT ONLY HAD TO BE DE-FUELED WHEN PERFORMING THE WING CABLE CLRNC CHKS AS PER THE NOTE IN THE JOB SET UP. HE FURTHER ARGUED THAT THE WING CLRNC CHKS HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY COMPLIED WITH. AN INSPECTOR AND I LOOKED AT THE L WING AND FOUND THAT THE CABLES WERE COMPLETELY SLACK AND THAT THE TENSION REGULATOR LOCK BAG WAS INSTALLED. THUS CLRNC CHKS WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO COMPLY WITH. WITH FUEL STILL ONBOARD; WE JACKED UP THE ACFT AND I REPLACED THE PULLEYS REQUIRED ON THE L WING. I DID NOT REPLACE THE PULLEY REQUIRED ON THE R WING BECAUSE THERE WAS ONLY ONE TENSION REGULATOR LOCK BAR; AND IT WAS IN USE ON THE L WING. TO USE THE LOCK BAR MEANT SETTING THE TENSION ON THE L WING SO I COULD REMOVE THE LOCK BAR. I SIGNED OFF THE REPLACEMENT OF THE PULLEYS ON THE L WING AND HAD AN INSPECTOR STAMP FOR IT. UNDER MY SIGN OFF; I MADE A NOTE STATING THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE DE-FUELED PRIOR TO SETTING CABLE TENSIONS. WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK ON SAT/APR/2005; I WAS TOLD THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN RETURNED TO SERVICE WITHOUT DE-FUELING IT TO PERFORM THE CABLE TENSIONS. THE UNDERLYING PROBS WERE THE COST OF DE-FUELING THE ACFT; BOTH THE COST OF THE FUEL AND THE MAN HOURS USED; AND MANAGEMENT'S PUSH TO DELIVER THE ACFT. THE ACFT WAS DUE TO DELIVER ON SAT AND IT WAS DELIVERED TWO DAYS PRIOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE AIRPLANE CAME INTO THE HANGAR WITH 4600 POUNDS OF FUEL AND THE CABLE PULLEYS WERE INSPECTED AND ON A VISUAL CHK THE CABLES WERE FOUND SLACK. THE CABLE TENSION ADJUSTMENT WAS REQUIRED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED FIRST AFTER THE PULLEY REPLACEMENTS AND BEFORE CHKING CABLE CLRNC. ON THE START OF THE SERVICE BULLETIN PROC IT STATED THE AIRPLANE WAS TO BE DE-FUELED AND PUT ON JACKS. THE DE-FUELING WAS OVERRULED BY THE PROGRAM MANAGER WHO STATED THE CABLE CLRNC HAD ALREADY BEEN CHKED BEFORE THE PULLEYS WERE REPLACED. KEEPING IN MIND THE CABLES WERE ALREADY FOUND SLACK ON THE PRELIMINARY INSPECTION. THE AIRPLANE WAS JACKED AND THE PULLEY REPLACEMENT WAS ACCOMPLISHED ON THE L WING ONLY AS ONLY ONE TENSION REGULATOR WAS AVAILABLE AT THE FACILITY. THE CABLES WERE NOT TENSIONED AND A NON ROUTINE CARD WAS WRITTEN THAT STATED THE AIRPLANE MUST BE DE-FUELED PRIOR TO ADJUSTING THE CABLE TENSION AND CHKING CABLE CLRNC. ON RETURNING TO WORK AFTER DAYS OFF; THE AIRPLANE WAS RELEASED FOR SERVICE WITHOUT DE-FUELING TO ACCOMPLISH CABLE TENSION RIGGING.

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.