An MD80 required a compass swing before dispatch. Station assigned swing did not have a surveyed com...

Narrative:

On mar/mon/06 was overnight at ZZZ1. The aircraft had a standby compass on placard and it needed a compass swing to remove the placard. The overnight workload had it as a no-fix; no-fly because it was on the 10TH day of the placard. I am the avionics lead for the terminal. When I saw the compass swing on the overnight workload; I called the maintenance manager on duty to inform him of gpm section 09-08 that states in section 'a' sentence 2; 'the following maintenance stations have surveyed sites to be used when accomplishing a compass swing.' those stations are ZZZ2; ZZZ3; and ZZZ4 according to the gpm. Mr X called the maintenance operations director. Mr Y told mr X that the gpm 09-08 did not apply because we were using the alternate swing procedure per the maintenance manual. Mr X called me and told me what mr Y told him. I told mr X that I disagreed with that interpretation of the gpm section 09-08. Mr Y felt that if you were not using the compass rose you did not need a surveyed site. I felt that the rose was not the important part but the area needed to be surveyed and found to be magnetically stable to accomplish a compass swing. After a long discussion with the union steward and myself; I was given a directive to do the compass swing per maintenance manual. I said I would but I wanted the quality assurance manager to read the gpm 09-08 and get his interpretation. After I finished the compass swing; I spoke to mr Z. He said that we need to get avionics to clarify gpm 09-08. Mr Z called avionics. We talked to ms a. Ms a felt that if you used the alternate procedure that you did not need a surveyed site that the gpm calls for. I said that I needed an approval message stating that I could do a compass swing at ZZZ1. It would take a few hours to send an approval message. They told me to make an entry item on the maintenance report and he would sign the item off. To remove section 9-08 a; 2 or put the words in that section.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 REQUIRED A COMPASS SWING BEFORE DISPATCH. STATION ASSIGNED SWING DID NOT HAVE A SURVEYED COMPASS ROSE. ENGINEERING APPROVAL GIVEN TO USE ALTERNATE METHOD OF COMPASS SWING.

Narrative: ON MAR/MON/06 WAS OVERNIGHT AT ZZZ1. THE ACFT HAD A STANDBY COMPASS ON PLACARD AND IT NEEDED A COMPASS SWING TO REMOVE THE PLACARD. THE OVERNIGHT WORKLOAD HAD IT AS A NO-FIX; NO-FLY BECAUSE IT WAS ON THE 10TH DAY OF THE PLACARD. I AM THE AVIONICS LEAD FOR THE TERMINAL. WHEN I SAW THE COMPASS SWING ON THE OVERNIGHT WORKLOAD; I CALLED THE MAINT MGR ON DUTY TO INFORM HIM OF GPM SECTION 09-08 THAT STATES IN SECTION 'A' SENTENCE 2; 'THE FOLLOWING MAINT STATIONS HAVE SURVEYED SITES TO BE USED WHEN ACCOMPLISHING A COMPASS SWING.' THOSE STATIONS ARE ZZZ2; ZZZ3; AND ZZZ4 ACCORDING TO THE GPM. MR X CALLED THE MAINT OPS DIRECTOR. MR Y TOLD MR X THAT THE GPM 09-08 DID NOT APPLY BECAUSE WE WERE USING THE ALTERNATE SWING PROC PER THE MAINT MANUAL. MR X CALLED ME AND TOLD ME WHAT MR Y TOLD HIM. I TOLD MR X THAT I DISAGREED WITH THAT INTERP OF THE GPM SECTION 09-08. MR Y FELT THAT IF YOU WERE NOT USING THE COMPASS ROSE YOU DID NOT NEED A SURVEYED SITE. I FELT THAT THE ROSE WAS NOT THE IMPORTANT PART BUT THE AREA NEEDED TO BE SURVEYED AND FOUND TO BE MAGNETICALLY STABLE TO ACCOMPLISH A COMPASS SWING. AFTER A LONG DISCUSSION WITH THE UNION STEWARD AND MYSELF; I WAS GIVEN A DIRECTIVE TO DO THE COMPASS SWING PER MAINT MANUAL. I SAID I WOULD BUT I WANTED THE QUALITY ASSURANCE MGR TO READ THE GPM 09-08 AND GET HIS INTERP. AFTER I FINISHED THE COMPASS SWING; I SPOKE TO MR Z. HE SAID THAT WE NEED TO GET AVIONICS TO CLARIFY GPM 09-08. MR Z CALLED AVIONICS. WE TALKED TO MS A. MS A FELT THAT IF YOU USED THE ALTERNATE PROC THAT YOU DID NOT NEED A SURVEYED SITE THAT THE GPM CALLS FOR. I SAID THAT I NEEDED AN APPROVAL MESSAGE STATING THAT I COULD DO A COMPASS SWING AT ZZZ1. IT WOULD TAKE A FEW HRS TO SEND AN APPROVAL MESSAGE. THEY TOLD ME TO MAKE AN ENTRY ITEM ON THE MAINT RPT AND HE WOULD SIGN THE ITEM OFF. TO REMOVE SECTION 9-08 A; 2 OR PUT THE WORDS IN THAT SECTION.

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	692467
Time
Date	200603
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : lead technician
ASRS Report	692467
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Airport
Primary Problem	Airport

An MD80 required a compass swing before dispatch. Station assigned swing did not have a surveyed compass rose. Engineering approval given to use alternate method of compass swing.