Narrative:

Postflt crew (in remote location) called maintenance control with a discrepancy. Captain's headset quit working in-flight. Captain stated he swapped the headsets with the observer's seat. Interestingly enough; headsets are bolted down on operator's aircraft to prevent theft (requires tooling). Captain then asked to defer the inoperative headset. Maintenance controller then stated the action taken by the crew is actually a maintenance function and requires a mechanic to be called out (company policy). Pilot was surprised this needed to take place. Maintenance controller called the approval on call vendor as directed in company gmm/computer. The one and only mechanic in the on call vendor list was not available (later learned mechanic out for medical). The individual that maintenance control spoke with was the general manager on the approved on call vendor and that he (insisted); the general manager would be able to take care of the open discrepancy pertaining to captain's headset inoperative. The general manager of the approved vendor then arrived at the aircraft. Maintenance control directed the individual to doublechk the maintenance work the crew had performed in-flight; then perform the required operations checks as per the facsimile'ed maintenance manual copies and defer the observer seat and associated equipment. Once the logbook was signed off; maintenance control asked the general manager to facsimile his license credentials to maintenance control prior to the aircraft departing (operator of aircraft policy). After reviewing the paperwork of the individual; to see in fact who he said he is; turned out he was a certified repairman with an FCC license; not a license airframe and power plant mechanic (operator of aircraft requires a&P for logbook entries). Realizing a discrepancy on license requirements the maintenance controller quickly notified the dispatcher; dispatch supervisor; gate agent working the aircraft; shift manager of maintenance control and the general manager of maintenance control to stop the aircraft until the approved on call vendor's paperwork was further reviewed. It appeared all parties notified were the least concerned. The aircraft had departed. After a conference with the general manager of maintenance control it was decided by the general manager of maintenance control the work performed by the approved vendor was legal even though the operator of the aircraft's (gmm) requires airframe and powerplant mechanics to sign off logbooks. The concerns by the maintenance controller then considered this a closed subject.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN SF340 HAD A LOGBOOK WRITE UP CAPT'S HEADSET INOP. SWAPPED HEADSET WITH OBSERVER'S HEADSET. WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY FLT CREW INFLT. REVIEWED AND OPS CHKED BY CERTIFICATED REPAIRMAN.

Narrative: POSTFLT CREW (IN REMOTE LOCATION) CALLED MAINT CTL WITH A DISCREPANCY. CAPT'S HEADSET QUIT WORKING INFLT. CAPT STATED HE SWAPPED THE HEADSETS WITH THE OBSERVER'S SEAT. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH; HEADSETS ARE BOLTED DOWN ON OPERATOR'S ACFT TO PREVENT THEFT (REQUIRES TOOLING). CAPT THEN ASKED TO DEFER THE INOP HEADSET. MAINT CTLR THEN STATED THE ACTION TAKEN BY THE CREW IS ACTUALLY A MAINT FUNCTION AND REQUIRES A MECH TO BE CALLED OUT (COMPANY POLICY). PLT WAS SURPRISED THIS NEEDED TO TAKE PLACE. MAINT CTLR CALLED THE APPROVAL ON CALL VENDOR AS DIRECTED IN COMPANY GMM/COMPUTER. THE ONE AND ONLY MECH IN THE ON CALL VENDOR LIST WAS NOT AVAILABLE (LATER LEARNED MECH OUT FOR MEDICAL). THE INDIVIDUAL THAT MAINT CTL SPOKE WITH WAS THE GENERAL MGR ON THE APPROVED ON CALL VENDOR AND THAT HE (INSISTED); THE GENERAL MGR WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE OPEN DISCREPANCY PERTAINING TO CAPT'S HEADSET INOP. THE GENERAL MGR OF THE APPROVED VENDOR THEN ARRIVED AT THE ACFT. MAINT CTL DIRECTED THE INDIVIDUAL TO DOUBLECHK THE MAINT WORK THE CREW HAD PERFORMED INFLT; THEN PERFORM THE REQUIRED OPS CHKS AS PER THE FAX'ED MAINT MANUAL COPIES AND DEFER THE OBSERVER SEAT AND ASSOCIATED EQUIP. ONCE THE LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF; MAINT CTL ASKED THE GENERAL MGR TO FAX HIS LICENSE CREDENTIALS TO MAINT CTL PRIOR TO THE ACFT DEPARTING (OPERATOR OF ACFT POLICY). AFTER REVIEWING THE PAPERWORK OF THE INDIVIDUAL; TO SEE IN FACT WHO HE SAID HE IS; TURNED OUT HE WAS A CERTIFIED REPAIRMAN WITH AN FCC LICENSE; NOT A LICENSE AIRFRAME AND PWR PLANT MECH (OPERATOR OF ACFT REQUIRES A&P FOR LOGBOOK ENTRIES). REALIZING A DISCREPANCY ON LICENSE REQUIREMENTS THE MAINT CTLR QUICKLY NOTIFIED THE DISPATCHER; DISPATCH SUPVR; GATE AGENT WORKING THE ACFT; SHIFT MGR OF MAINT CTL AND THE GENERAL MGR OF MAINT CTL TO STOP THE ACFT UNTIL THE APPROVED ON CALL VENDOR'S PAPERWORK WAS FURTHER REVIEWED. IT APPEARED ALL PARTIES NOTIFIED WERE THE LEAST CONCERNED. THE ACFT HAD DEPARTED. AFTER A CONFERENCE WITH THE GENERAL MGR OF MAINT CTL IT WAS DECIDED BY THE GENERAL MGR OF MAINT CTL THE WORK PERFORMED BY THE APPROVED VENDOR WAS LEGAL EVEN THOUGH THE OPERATOR OF THE ACFT'S (GMM) REQUIRES AIRFRAME AND POWERPLANT MECHS TO SIGN OFF LOGBOOKS. THE CONCERNS BY THE MAINT CTLR THEN CONSIDERED THIS A CLOSED SUBJECT.

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.