Narrative:

Aircraft in ZZZ1 working carry forward item related to reverser damage (that specific item was covered by eva). ZZZ1 maintenance manual found the source that was causing the damage to the reverser's to be a thin strip of metal fairing that is part of the cascade vane. ZZZ1 maintenance manual was unable to find any source related to wear and/or tear to the fairing on the cascade vane segment. Nothing was found in the maintenance manual; noting in the MEL; cdl; or srm. ZZZ1 maintenance manual could see that the obvious source causing the damage to the composite material was the damaged fairing on the cascade vane; and by removing that damaged piece of metal any further damage to the composite material could be avoided. ZZZ1 maintenance manual determined that the function of the reverser was not affected by this metal strip being removed. Looking at the ipc they also determined that the metal fairing in question was part of the cascade vane assembly and the replacement of the vane assembly was the quickest most efficient way to correct the condition. ZZZ1 maintenance manual at that time was unable to obtain the necessary vane segments. The decision was made to remove the damaged fairing(south) to prevent further damage to the composite material of the reverser's translating sleeve; and create a carry forward item to replace the vane segments in a timely manner. This would let the aircraft operate for a reasonable amount of time without restr; and give us time to procure the necessary parts for repair. From what I was told upon arrival at work; an FAA person had done a review of cf items created during the previous night's maintenance opportunities and found CF208 and CF209; and was concerned that a maintenance operations procedure reference was used to create these items he (as noted above) could not find any other reference to cover said items. My part in this as a maintenance controller is that 'when' a deferred or carry forward item is created; the aircraft maintenance computer system automatic generates a message that comes across a CRT screen at my desk. I saw these items and reviewed them and 'accepted' them as they were; with 1 exception that of the time limit that was placed on the items. I chose to put that limit at 50 hours. In my estimation it seemed reasonable that we should be able to locate and procure the necessary vane segments in that time to effect a permanent repair. My knowledge of the reverser for this engine type is somewhat limited; but I do know that the vane segments are 'non-moving' parts. As stated in the terms; the metal pieces that were causing the damage had been removed; and carry forward items were put in place to correct that. As noted; I chose to accept his judgement and accepted the item in our computing system. From what I was told; the gentleman from the FAA (sorry; I was not given his name) pressed the issue; had the aircraft stopped; held OTS; until the vane segments were replaced. I was told by ZZZ1 maintenance manual that no further damage was incurred because the metal fairings had indeed been removed; and that there were no operational problems encountered by the crew when they used the reversers for the 2 cycles that the aircraft flew. Again; from what I was told by my counterparts on swing shift; the decision to stop the aircraft and correct the problem was made based of the FAA's concern over the use of the maintenance operations procedure to create the 2 carry forward items. We have used this maintenance operations procedure for many yrs; to create a visible means of tracking a particular problem specifically when no other technical information is available. We use this maintenance operations procedure when the people on site (in this case ZZZ1 maintenance manual) feel that we can operate the aft without jeopardizing safety; without hindering the operation of the airline. As I have said; I have not talked directly to the FAA representative. Based on the items in question; and knowing that mr X was taking responsibility for the items; I do not feel that this was a bad or possibly unsafe condition.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 WAS DISPATCHED WITH 2 DEFERRED ITEMS ON A REMOVED METAL STRIP FROM A CASCADE VANE THAT WAS DAMAGING THE REVERSER. FAA QUESTIONS DEFERRAL AUTH.

Narrative: ACFT IN ZZZ1 WORKING CARRY FORWARD ITEM RELATED TO REVERSER DAMAGE (THAT SPECIFIC ITEM WAS COVERED BY EVA). ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL FOUND THE SOURCE THAT WAS CAUSING THE DAMAGE TO THE REVERSER'S TO BE A THIN STRIP OF METAL FAIRING THAT IS PART OF THE CASCADE VANE. ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL WAS UNABLE TO FIND ANY SOURCE RELATED TO WEAR AND/OR TEAR TO THE FAIRING ON THE CASCADE VANE SEGMENT. NOTHING WAS FOUND IN THE MAINT MANUAL; NOTING IN THE MEL; CDL; OR SRM. ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL COULD SEE THAT THE OBVIOUS SOURCE CAUSING THE DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL WAS THE DAMAGED FAIRING ON THE CASCADE VANE; AND BY REMOVING THAT DAMAGED PIECE OF METAL ANY FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL COULD BE AVOIDED. ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL DETERMINED THAT THE FUNCTION OF THE REVERSER WAS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS METAL STRIP BEING REMOVED. LOOKING AT THE IPC THEY ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE METAL FAIRING IN QUESTION WAS PART OF THE CASCADE VANE ASSEMBLY AND THE REPLACEMENT OF THE VANE ASSEMBLY WAS THE QUICKEST MOST EFFICIENT WAY TO CORRECT THE CONDITION. ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL AT THAT TIME WAS UNABLE TO OBTAIN THE NECESSARY VANE SEGMENTS. THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REMOVE THE DAMAGED FAIRING(S) TO PREVENT FURTHER DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL OF THE REVERSER'S TRANSLATING SLEEVE; AND CREATE A CARRY FORWARD ITEM TO REPLACE THE VANE SEGMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER. THIS WOULD LET THE ACFT OPERATE FOR A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME WITHOUT RESTR; AND GIVE US TIME TO PROCURE THE NECESSARY PARTS FOR REPAIR. FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD UPON ARR AT WORK; AN FAA PERSON HAD DONE A REVIEW OF CF ITEMS CREATED DURING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT'S MAINT OPPORTUNITIES AND FOUND CF208 AND CF209; AND WAS CONCERNED THAT A MAINT OPS PROC REF WAS USED TO CREATE THESE ITEMS HE (AS NOTED ABOVE) COULD NOT FIND ANY OTHER REF TO COVER SAID ITEMS. MY PART IN THIS AS A MAINT CTLR IS THAT 'WHEN' A DEFERRED OR CARRY FORWARD ITEM IS CREATED; THE ACFT MAINT COMPUTER SYS AUTO GENERATES A MESSAGE THAT COMES ACROSS A CRT SCREEN AT MY DESK. I SAW THESE ITEMS AND REVIEWED THEM AND 'ACCEPTED' THEM AS THEY WERE; WITH 1 EXCEPTION THAT OF THE TIME LIMIT THAT WAS PLACED ON THE ITEMS. I CHOSE TO PUT THAT LIMIT AT 50 HRS. IN MY ESTIMATION IT SEEMED REASONABLE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOCATE AND PROCURE THE NECESSARY VANE SEGMENTS IN THAT TIME TO EFFECT A PERMANENT REPAIR. MY KNOWLEDGE OF THE REVERSER FOR THIS ENG TYPE IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED; BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE VANE SEGMENTS ARE 'NON-MOVING' PARTS. AS STATED IN THE TERMS; THE METAL PIECES THAT WERE CAUSING THE DAMAGE HAD BEEN REMOVED; AND CARRY FORWARD ITEMS WERE PUT IN PLACE TO CORRECT THAT. AS NOTED; I CHOSE TO ACCEPT HIS JUDGEMENT AND ACCEPTED THE ITEM IN OUR COMPUTING SYS. FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD; THE GENTLEMAN FROM THE FAA (SORRY; I WAS NOT GIVEN HIS NAME) PRESSED THE ISSUE; HAD THE ACFT STOPPED; HELD OTS; UNTIL THE VANE SEGMENTS WERE REPLACED. I WAS TOLD BY ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL THAT NO FURTHER DAMAGE WAS INCURRED BECAUSE THE METAL FAIRINGS HAD INDEED BEEN REMOVED; AND THAT THERE WERE NO OPERATIONAL PROBS ENCOUNTERED BY THE CREW WHEN THEY USED THE REVERSERS FOR THE 2 CYCLES THAT THE ACFT FLEW. AGAIN; FROM WHAT I WAS TOLD BY MY COUNTERPARTS ON SWING SHIFT; THE DECISION TO STOP THE ACFT AND CORRECT THE PROB WAS MADE BASED OF THE FAA'S CONCERN OVER THE USE OF THE MAINT OPS PROC TO CREATE THE 2 CARRY FORWARD ITEMS. WE HAVE USED THIS MAINT OPS PROC FOR MANY YRS; TO CREATE A VISIBLE MEANS OF TRACKING A PARTICULAR PROB SPECIFICALLY WHEN NO OTHER TECHNICAL INFO IS AVAILABLE. WE USE THIS MAINT OPS PROC WHEN THE PEOPLE ON SITE (IN THIS CASE ZZZ1 MAINT MANUAL) FEEL THAT WE CAN OPERATE THE AFT WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING SAFETY; WITHOUT HINDERING THE OP OF THE AIRLINE. AS I HAVE SAID; I HAVE NOT TALKED DIRECTLY TO THE FAA REPRESENTATIVE. BASED ON THE ITEMS IN QUESTION; AND KNOWING THAT MR X WAS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ITEMS; I DO NOT FEEL THAT THIS WAS A BAD OR POSSIBLY UNSAFE CONDITION.

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.