An EMB145 had an access panel nut plate and fastener replaced by a contract technician. Maintenance ...

Narrative:

Aircraft logbook writeup: a screw is sticking out of the vent by the left pack. I called contract maintenance to investigate. After this task was done and when reinstalling access panel 191KL; he found that 1 forward nut plate was crossthreaded and would not allow the screw to be installed correctly. I started looking into the ipc and the srm for a reference for the nut plate and rivets. I could not locate a reference for a part number. He told me that it was a common stainless steel nut plate held in by common cherry maximum rivets and asked if I wanted him to replace it. This is in a composite fairing area and is not a structural component. He said he had these items in his stock and he could do this for us easily. Without being able to find a reference in the manuals; I went to the srm (standard practices) for right&I for a nut plate and rivets and found the instructions. I facsimile'ed these to him and he proceeded to replace the nut plate. At the time I had 3 aircraft down hard at 3 different outstations. I was working with 3 vendors on getting these aircraft back into operation. I did not follow through with my own procedures to ensure that I had done everything. This day stuck in my mind and I continued to think about what transpired. I felt uneasy about it. I do not like losing my focus when dealing with contract maintenance as I did on this aircraft. I went back into the ipc and srm looking for a reference for this nut plate about 1 week later. I found it right where it should be. I then realized that I also forgot to get the certs from him for the nut plate and rivets he installed. We have a process for contract maintenance to provide common consumable hardware as long as we get the certs from them and they are acceptable. I failed the company and myself in letting this situation get away from me and for allowing this hardware to be installed and without certs. I do not know what the part number is of the nut plate installed; so I am not able to see if it is an acceptable alternate part number.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 HAD AN ACCESS PANEL NUT PLATE AND FASTENER REPLACED BY A CONTRACT TECHNICIAN. MAINT CTLR FAILED TO GET BILL OF MATERIAL USED TO REPAIR PANEL.

Narrative: ACFT LOGBOOK WRITEUP: A SCREW IS STICKING OUT OF THE VENT BY THE L PACK. I CALLED CONTRACT MAINT TO INVESTIGATE. AFTER THIS TASK WAS DONE AND WHEN REINSTALLING ACCESS PANEL 191KL; HE FOUND THAT 1 FORWARD NUT PLATE WAS CROSSTHREADED AND WOULD NOT ALLOW THE SCREW TO BE INSTALLED CORRECTLY. I STARTED LOOKING INTO THE IPC AND THE SRM FOR A REF FOR THE NUT PLATE AND RIVETS. I COULD NOT LOCATE A REF FOR A PART NUMBER. HE TOLD ME THAT IT WAS A COMMON STAINLESS STEEL NUT PLATE HELD IN BY COMMON CHERRY MAX RIVETS AND ASKED IF I WANTED HIM TO REPLACE IT. THIS IS IN A COMPOSITE FAIRING AREA AND IS NOT A STRUCTURAL COMPONENT. HE SAID HE HAD THESE ITEMS IN HIS STOCK AND HE COULD DO THIS FOR US EASILY. WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO FIND A REF IN THE MANUALS; I WENT TO THE SRM (STANDARD PRACTICES) FOR R&I FOR A NUT PLATE AND RIVETS AND FOUND THE INSTRUCTIONS. I FAX'ED THESE TO HIM AND HE PROCEEDED TO REPLACE THE NUT PLATE. AT THE TIME I HAD 3 ACFT DOWN HARD AT 3 DIFFERENT OUTSTATIONS. I WAS WORKING WITH 3 VENDORS ON GETTING THESE ACFT BACK INTO OP. I DID NOT FOLLOW THROUGH WITH MY OWN PROCS TO ENSURE THAT I HAD DONE EVERYTHING. THIS DAY STUCK IN MY MIND AND I CONTINUED TO THINK ABOUT WHAT TRANSPIRED. I FELT UNEASY ABOUT IT. I DO NOT LIKE LOSING MY FOCUS WHEN DEALING WITH CONTRACT MAINT AS I DID ON THIS ACFT. I WENT BACK INTO THE IPC AND SRM LOOKING FOR A REF FOR THIS NUT PLATE ABOUT 1 WK LATER. I FOUND IT RIGHT WHERE IT SHOULD BE. I THEN REALIZED THAT I ALSO FORGOT TO GET THE CERTS FROM HIM FOR THE NUT PLATE AND RIVETS HE INSTALLED. WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR CONTRACT MAINT TO PROVIDE COMMON CONSUMABLE HARDWARE AS LONG AS WE GET THE CERTS FROM THEM AND THEY ARE ACCEPTABLE. I FAILED THE COMPANY AND MYSELF IN LETTING THIS SIT GET AWAY FROM ME AND FOR ALLOWING THIS HARDWARE TO BE INSTALLED AND WITHOUT CERTS. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE PART NUMBER IS OF THE NUT PLATE INSTALLED; SO I AM NOT ABLE TO SEE IF IT IS AN ACCEPTABLE ALTERNATE PART NUMBER.

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.

Attributes
ACN	658757
Time
Date	200505
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	EMB ERJ 145 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : coordinator
ASRS Report	658757
Person 2
Affiliation	other
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

An EMB145 had an access panel nut plate and fastener replaced by a contract technician. Maintenance controller failed to get bill of material used to repair panel.