Narrative:

I was working on aircraft X doing an APU borescope; filter change and operation check. I finished the borescope; filter change and operation check and all that was left was to close the APU shroud and cowl. The filter change and operation check task cards covered closing the shroud and cowl and I tied those in to the next shift. My mistake was I signed off for the borescope task card thinking it was done. When I looked over the borescope task card I did not see anything for closing the shroud and cowl; so I signed it off thinking that the two other cards were covering the close of the shroud and cow.. I now have discovered the operation check task card was attached to the borescope task and by mistake I signed for the operation check on the borescope task card and thinking the borescope task was done I signed off the card. I now know I shouldn't have signed off the card because the operation check task card was adjoined to the borescope task card. I thought I was helping the next shift out by signing off the card and also thought I was well covered for the close of the shroud and cowl. Aircraft X was assigned as the imo aircraft with a heavy maintenance visit on sep/xa/05. As a quality control inspector stationed in ZZZ; I bought the task card for the completion of the APU borescope and the job card associated with this job. On the last page of the APU borescope card one of the last steps is to verify that the operations check card is completed; which is only a mechanic block; not inspector. This APU borescope card was completely signed off; including the block for the operations check card completion; and I bought the job card rii block. I did not check the operations check task card for completion as it was signed for as completed on the APU borescope task card. I believe that if an imbedded card does not have an inspection block for completion; it is not quality control's responsibility to verify completion. I cannot find anywhere in the gpm in relation to the job card block where I am signing for anything other than the rii item; which in this case was the borescope. I have spoken to the FAA over this issue and there is not presently any certificate action associated with this event; but I would like clarification as to what quality controls responsibilities are when signing this block on the job card. Also what quality control's responsibilities are associated with imbedded task cards; ie; the APU operations check card in this case; which does not have inspection blocks on either the original card for completion verification; or the imbedded card.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 INSPECTOR RPTS DUE TO CONFUSING JOB CARDS; AND UNCLR MAINT PROCS REGARDING JOB CARD INSPECTION RESPONSIBILITY; AN APU WAS BORESCOPED BUT SHROUD AND COWLING WERE NOT INSTALLED AND CLOSED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING ON ACFT X DOING AN APU BORESCOPE; FILTER CHANGE AND OP CHECK. I FINISHED THE BORESCOPE; FILTER CHANGE AND OP CHECK AND ALL THAT WAS LEFT WAS TO CLOSE THE APU SHROUD AND COWL. THE FILTER CHANGE AND OP CHECK TASK CARDS COVERED CLOSING THE SHROUD AND COWL AND I TIED THOSE IN TO THE NEXT SHIFT. MY MISTAKE WAS I SIGNED OFF FOR THE BORESCOPE TASK CARD THINKING IT WAS DONE. WHEN I LOOKED OVER THE BORESCOPE TASK CARD I DID NOT SEE ANYTHING FOR CLOSING THE SHROUD AND COWL; SO I SIGNED IT OFF THINKING THAT THE TWO OTHER CARDS WERE COVERING THE CLOSE OF THE SHROUD AND COW.. I NOW HAVE DISCOVERED THE OP CHECK TASK CARD WAS ATTACHED TO THE BORESCOPE TASK AND BY MISTAKE I SIGNED FOR THE OP CHECK ON THE BORESCOPE TASK CARD AND THINKING THE BORESCOPE TASK WAS DONE I SIGNED OFF THE CARD. I NOW KNOW I SHOULDN'T HAVE SIGNED OFF THE CARD BECAUSE THE OP CHECK TASK CARD WAS ADJOINED TO THE BORESCOPE TASK CARD. I THOUGHT I WAS HELPING THE NEXT SHIFT OUT BY SIGNING OFF THE CARD AND ALSO THOUGHT I WAS WELL COVERED FOR THE CLOSE OF THE SHROUD AND COWL. ACFT X WAS ASSIGNED AS THE IMO ACFT WITH A HVY MAINT VISIT ON SEP/XA/05. AS A QUALITY CTL INSPECTOR STATIONED IN ZZZ; I BOUGHT THE TASK CARD FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE APU BORESCOPE AND THE JOB CARD ASSOCIATED WITH THIS JOB. ON THE LAST PAGE OF THE APU BORESCOPE CARD ONE OF THE LAST STEPS IS TO VERIFY THAT THE OPS CHK CARD IS COMPLETED; WHICH IS ONLY A MECH BLOCK; NOT INSPECTOR. THIS APU BORESCOPE CARD WAS COMPLETELY SIGNED OFF; INCLUDING THE BLOCK FOR THE OPS CHK CARD COMPLETION; AND I BOUGHT THE JOB CARD RII BLOCK. I DID NOT CHK THE OPS CHK TASK CARD FOR COMPLETION AS IT WAS SIGNED FOR AS COMPLETED ON THE APU BORESCOPE TASK CARD. I BELIEVE THAT IF AN IMBEDDED CARD DOES NOT HAVE AN INSPECTION BLOCK FOR COMPLETION; IT IS NOT QUALITY CTL'S RESPONSIBILITY TO VERIFY COMPLETION. I CANNOT FIND ANYWHERE IN THE GPM IN RELATION TO THE JOB CARD BLOCK WHERE I AM SIGNING FOR ANYTHING OTHER THAN THE RII ITEM; WHICH IN THIS CASE WAS THE BORESCOPE. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE FAA OVER THIS ISSUE AND THERE IS NOT PRESENTLY ANY CERTIFICATE ACTION ASSOCIATED WITH THIS EVENT; BUT I WOULD LIKE CLARIFICATION AS TO WHAT QUALITY CTLS RESPONSIBILITIES ARE WHEN SIGNING THIS BLOCK ON THE JOB CARD. ALSO WHAT QUALITY CTL'S RESPONSIBILITIES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH IMBEDDED TASK CARDS; IE; THE APU OPS CHK CARD IN THIS CASE; WHICH DOES NOT HAVE INSPECTION BLOCKS ON EITHER THE ORIGINAL CARD FOR COMPLETION VERIFICATION; OR THE IMBEDDED CARD.

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.