Narrative:

I was mandated to be crew chief for the shift at approximately XA30. I went over to the hangar at XB30. We were instructed to work on aircraft X. The previous shift supervisor went and got an internal diameter micrometer from air carrier X and he instructed us to use it to take the internal diameter measurements on the nose landing gear leg trunnion bore. The engineering document and the company work card called for a 3-POINT micrometer or internal spring gauge added with either an external micrometer or digital caliper. Mr X; mr Y; and I did not feel comfortable using the internal diameter micrometer from air carrier; but we attempted to use it because of the pressure to do so by mr west. Instead of going aircraft on ground for the correct micrometer; mr west instructed us to use the internal diameter micrometer and repeatedly told us that it would work. After a few hours; in which mr X and mr Y made several attempts with the internal diameter micrometer to get the right measurements for the delaminable shims that go between the 2 halves of the bearing on the gear; it became obvious that the internal diameter micrometer was not going to work. Neither mr X; mr Y nor I had done this job before. Although mr west had assured us that the internal diameter micrometer would work for the job; we did not feel safe continuing to use that tool when the measurements were not correct and the engineering document and the company work card specifically called for a different tool. The inspector on duty and the technician crew chief agreed that using the correct micrometer would be the best course of action. At approximately XC30 I went up and talked to the base manager. The two of us went to air carrier Y and air carrier X to try and get the correct micrometer. We had no luck. After returning to the hangar; mr X made some calls to locate the right micrometer; finding it in bangor. We went aircraft on ground at approximately XF00. ETA for the tool was XP00. There was no further action taken with the aircraft pending the arrival of the 3-POINT micrometer. At approximately XP30; I went back over to the hangar to talk to the crew chief about the status of aircraft X. I was approached by mr X. He was very angry that we had not used the internal diameter micrometer that he had gotten from air carrier X. After I made several attempts to explain that the internal diameter micrometer did not work; he kept reiterating that the internal diameter micrometer would have worked. He implied that the only reason that the internal diameter micrometer did not work was because we did not want to work on the plane. At this point; I explained to him that I was only the mandated crew chief for the next shift; and I also explained to him that none of us had done the nosewheel leg job before. I further explained that I had discussed the problem with the technical crew chief; the inspector; and mr Y; and that the decision to go aircraft on ground on aircraft X for the 3-PRONG micrometer was not my decision alone. I told mr X that we had to go aircraft on ground because the internal diameter micrometer was not working. He stated that all mechanics want to go aircraft on ground so that they do not have to work. I explained that I had to go aircraft on ground because the engineering document and the company work card called for the 3-POINT micrometer. He replied; 'that is what losers do.' I asked him if he was calling me a loser. He repeated; 'that's what losers do.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMB145 HAD AN ENGINEERING CHK MEASUREMENT OF THE NOSE GEAR TRUNNION BORE REQUIRING A SPECIAL 3-POINT INSIDE MICROMETER. TOOL NOT AVAILABLE.

Narrative: I WAS MANDATED TO BE CREW CHIEF FOR THE SHIFT AT APPROX XA30. I WENT OVER TO THE HANGAR AT XB30. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO WORK ON ACFT X. THE PREVIOUS SHIFT SUPVR WENT AND GOT AN INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER FROM ACR X AND HE INSTRUCTED US TO USE IT TO TAKE THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MEASUREMENTS ON THE NOSE LNDG GEAR LEG TRUNNION BORE. THE ENGINEERING DOCUMENT AND THE COMPANY WORK CARD CALLED FOR A 3-POINT MICROMETER OR INTERNAL SPRING GAUGE ADDED WITH EITHER AN EXTERNAL MICROMETER OR DIGITAL CALIPER. MR X; MR Y; AND I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE USING THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER FROM ACR; BUT WE ATTEMPTED TO USE IT BECAUSE OF THE PRESSURE TO DO SO BY MR W. INSTEAD OF GOING ACFT ON GND FOR THE CORRECT MICROMETER; MR W INSTRUCTED US TO USE THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER AND REPEATEDLY TOLD US THAT IT WOULD WORK. AFTER A FEW HRS; IN WHICH MR X AND MR Y MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS WITH THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER TO GET THE RIGHT MEASUREMENTS FOR THE DELAMINABLE SHIMS THAT GO BTWN THE 2 HALVES OF THE BEARING ON THE GEAR; IT BECAME OBVIOUS THAT THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER WAS NOT GOING TO WORK. NEITHER MR X; MR Y NOR I HAD DONE THIS JOB BEFORE. ALTHOUGH MR W HAD ASSURED US THAT THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER WOULD WORK FOR THE JOB; WE DID NOT FEEL SAFE CONTINUING TO USE THAT TOOL WHEN THE MEASUREMENTS WERE NOT CORRECT AND THE ENGINEERING DOCUMENT AND THE COMPANY WORK CARD SPECIFICALLY CALLED FOR A DIFFERENT TOOL. THE INSPECTOR ON DUTY AND THE TECHNICIAN CREW CHIEF AGREED THAT USING THE CORRECT MICROMETER WOULD BE THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION. AT APPROX XC30 I WENT UP AND TALKED TO THE BASE MGR. THE TWO OF US WENT TO ACR Y AND ACR X TO TRY AND GET THE CORRECT MICROMETER. WE HAD NO LUCK. AFTER RETURNING TO THE HANGAR; MR X MADE SOME CALLS TO LOCATE THE RIGHT MICROMETER; FINDING IT IN BANGOR. WE WENT ACFT ON GND AT APPROX XF00. ETA FOR THE TOOL WAS XP00. THERE WAS NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN WITH THE ACFT PENDING THE ARR OF THE 3-POINT MICROMETER. AT APPROX XP30; I WENT BACK OVER TO THE HANGAR TO TALK TO THE CREW CHIEF ABOUT THE STATUS OF ACFT X. I WAS APCHED BY MR X. HE WAS VERY ANGRY THAT WE HAD NOT USED THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER THAT HE HAD GOTTEN FROM ACR X. AFTER I MADE SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO EXPLAIN THAT THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER DID NOT WORK; HE KEPT REITERATING THAT THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER WOULD HAVE WORKED. HE IMPLIED THAT THE ONLY REASON THAT THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER DID NOT WORK WAS BECAUSE WE DID NOT WANT TO WORK ON THE PLANE. AT THIS POINT; I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT I WAS ONLY THE MANDATED CREW CHIEF FOR THE NEXT SHIFT; AND I ALSO EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT NONE OF US HAD DONE THE NOSEWHEEL LEG JOB BEFORE. I FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT I HAD DISCUSSED THE PROB WITH THE TECHNICAL CREW CHIEF; THE INSPECTOR; AND MR Y; AND THAT THE DECISION TO GO ACFT ON GND ON ACFT X FOR THE 3-PRONG MICROMETER WAS NOT MY DECISION ALONE. I TOLD MR X THAT WE HAD TO GO ACFT ON GND BECAUSE THE INTERNAL DIAMETER MICROMETER WAS NOT WORKING. HE STATED THAT ALL MECHS WANT TO GO ACFT ON GND SO THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO WORK. I EXPLAINED THAT I HAD TO GO ACFT ON GND BECAUSE THE ENGINEERING DOCUMENT AND THE COMPANY WORK CARD CALLED FOR THE 3-POINT MICROMETER. HE REPLIED; 'THAT IS WHAT LOSERS DO.' I ASKED HIM IF HE WAS CALLING ME A LOSER. HE REPEATED; 'THAT'S WHAT LOSERS DO.'

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.