Narrative:

I am an inspector in the quality assurance department at ZZZ. My assigned job is to perform audits of the aircraft maintenance documents for aircraft undergoing routine and non-routine maintenance at the ZZZ maintenance base. The audits of the documents involve ensuring that the completed documents meet the criteria for accuracy and clarity and those gpm procedures have been accomplished. As part of that process; I am required to ensure all gpm X rii's are accomplished; and that gpm Y confirmation checks are accomplished. It is in the latter area that I am concerned that I may not have properly accomplished the task as required. Specifically; my concern relates to the monitoring of rvsm component installation for required confirmation checks as specified in gpm Y and gpm Z. Gpm Z states; 'the essential rvsm system components for each aircraft type are listed in the aircraft ipc.' I have reviewed the ipc and am unable to locate a specific list of those components that require a confirmation check upon installation. Additionally; I do not have an extensive backgnd in avionics; therefore; I am unfamiliar with a lot of the acronyms used by mechanics where the corrective actions are written or technician's write-up. I have discussed this issue with individuals in the engineering and training departments and with mechanics on the floor and receive a lot of conflicting information. If I perform a search for the term 'rvsm' in the PIC using ipc search; there is only 1 hit for the air data computer in the B767 ipc and there are no hits for the term rvsm in the B777 ipc. I am attaching a copy of the B767 ipc for the pitot static probe; which I believe to be an rvsm critical component. There is no mention of it being rvsm critical. In summary; it is my opinion that I may have allowed documents to be processed involving the removal and replacement of rvsm critical components that may or may not have had the requisite confirmation checks accomplished. I believe that this occurred as a result of my inability to obtain the information from the ipc and my lack of knowledge with respect to avionics and the rvsm program. I believe that in order to prevent this from recurring; the ipc and associated manuals for the B767/B777 fleets be updated to include the required information; and that the associated manuals for all other fleet types be reviewed to see if this condition exists elsewhere.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSPECTOR REVIEWING ALL COMPONENTS AND PARTS INVOLVED IN REDUCED VERT SEPARATION MINIMUMS OP FINDS NONE ARE LABELED IN THE IPC AS RII'S.

Narrative: I AM AN INSPECTOR IN THE QUALITY ASSURANCE DEPT AT ZZZ. MY ASSIGNED JOB IS TO PERFORM AUDITS OF THE ACFT MAINT DOCUMENTS FOR ACFT UNDERGOING ROUTINE AND NON-ROUTINE MAINT AT THE ZZZ MAINT BASE. THE AUDITS OF THE DOCUMENTS INVOLVE ENSURING THAT THE COMPLETED DOCUMENTS MEET THE CRITERIA FOR ACCURACY AND CLARITY AND THOSE GPM PROCS HAVE BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. AS PART OF THAT PROCESS; I AM REQUIRED TO ENSURE ALL GPM X RII'S ARE ACCOMPLISHED; AND THAT GPM Y CONFIRMATION CHKS ARE ACCOMPLISHED. IT IS IN THE LATTER AREA THAT I AM CONCERNED THAT I MAY NOT HAVE PROPERLY ACCOMPLISHED THE TASK AS REQUIRED. SPECIFICALLY; MY CONCERN RELATES TO THE MONITORING OF RVSM COMPONENT INSTALLATION FOR REQUIRED CONFIRMATION CHKS AS SPECIFIED IN GPM Y AND GPM Z. GPM Z STATES; 'THE ESSENTIAL RVSM SYS COMPONENTS FOR EACH ACFT TYPE ARE LISTED IN THE ACFT IPC.' I HAVE REVIEWED THE IPC AND AM UNABLE TO LOCATE A SPECIFIC LIST OF THOSE COMPONENTS THAT REQUIRE A CONFIRMATION CHK UPON INSTALLATION. ADDITIONALLY; I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTENSIVE BACKGND IN AVIONICS; THEREFORE; I AM UNFAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THE ACRONYMS USED BY MECHS WHERE THE CORRECTIVE ACTIONS ARE WRITTEN OR TECHNICIAN'S WRITE-UP. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS ISSUE WITH INDIVIDUALS IN THE ENGINEERING AND TRAINING DEPTS AND WITH MECHS ON THE FLOOR AND RECEIVE A LOT OF CONFLICTING INFO. IF I PERFORM A SEARCH FOR THE TERM 'RVSM' IN THE PIC USING IPC SEARCH; THERE IS ONLY 1 HIT FOR THE ADC IN THE B767 IPC AND THERE ARE NO HITS FOR THE TERM RVSM IN THE B777 IPC. I AM ATTACHING A COPY OF THE B767 IPC FOR THE PITOT STATIC PROBE; WHICH I BELIEVE TO BE AN RVSM CRITICAL COMPONENT. THERE IS NO MENTION OF IT BEING RVSM CRITICAL. IN SUMMARY; IT IS MY OPINION THAT I MAY HAVE ALLOWED DOCUMENTS TO BE PROCESSED INVOLVING THE REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF RVSM CRITICAL COMPONENTS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAD THE REQUISITE CONFIRMATION CHKS ACCOMPLISHED. I BELIEVE THAT THIS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF MY INABILITY TO OBTAIN THE INFO FROM THE IPC AND MY LACK OF KNOWLEDGE WITH RESPECT TO AVIONICS AND THE RVSM PROGRAM. I BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING; THE IPC AND ASSOCIATED MANUALS FOR THE B767/B777 FLEETS BE UPDATED TO INCLUDE THE REQUIRED INFO; AND THAT THE ASSOCIATED MANUALS FOR ALL OTHER FLEET TYPES BE REVIEWED TO SEE IF THIS CONDITION EXISTS ELSEWHERE.

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.