Narrative:

On aug/thu/06 I was told by an acting lead that an aircraft I worked on and did buybacks on that morning had landed with nothing wrong with it; but the APU needed svced supposedly with 3 quarts of oil. We recently started doing buybacks because of the new people we have working for us. The only thing is; even though we are supposed to look at all of the work being done once it is finished there are now 3 individuals who can sign off all of the workload. We normally get about 5 or 6 planes a night. Planning sends us unrealistic workloads to be done; even with the new people. After everything was all said and done; although several other individuals had been on the previous aircraft; none of them could sign off the aircraft. I spoke with the other individuals and they all assured me everything was done and that they had gone back and checked the work of the mechanic on that aircraft. The mechanic had signed off on all of the work for the better part so against my better judgement I bought the individual back on his paperwork around XA30 or so in the morning which is cutting it to the wire since the crews show up around XB15 or so to do their checks and the quality assurance personnel still needed to do their checks and research. I briefly read over what I was signing; but it still didn't dawn on me that it was a routine and so I hadn't checked to see if anyone had svced the APU (especially since I was the one who had been in there). I saw the statements about the oils and everything was all signed off by the mechanic so I bought him back thinking he couldn't mess it up. The aircraft belongs to air carrier X and supposedly they were upset that someone hadn't been doing their job. Myself and the only other mechanic who signed anything on that aircraft off were told if we didn't come up with statements in the next 20 mins that we were going to be suspended and our badges taken away until the station manager returned from his business trip which could have lasted anywhere from 1 week to as long as a month. Supposedly; this was being backed by our night manager; station manager; and a gentleman who oversees most if not all of the work throughout air carrier Y named mr X. I feel like if we the mechanic aren't a lead; either didn't have anything to do with the maintenance on an aircraft or only did specific items on that aircraft then that is all we should be asked to sign off. I think we should have more training or other ways to help decrease the time it takes to fill out paperwork and we should be able to have a way to make sure when situations arise like individuals being an outcast because they seem to lack training or ethics then there should be someone mechanics can turn to outside of their station to make the situation known; and it would be helpful to keep pairs together while working on an aircraft so that it is known what work is being done as the paperwork is being signed off as completed. That way if it wasn't the individual working on that aircraft; then the work not completed would be known after looking at the description on the work cards to be performed. As for the person doing the buybacks; even though they may be paying attention to what the other mechanics did; who is checking on them to keep them from missing something like I did.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CRJ200 TECHNICIAN RPTS A COMPANY REQUIREMENT FOR EXPERIENCED TECHNICIANS TO SIGN FOR WORK ACCOMPLISHED BY NEW HIRE TECHNICIANS.

Narrative: ON AUG/THU/06 I WAS TOLD BY AN ACTING LEAD THAT AN ACFT I WORKED ON AND DID BUYBACKS ON THAT MORNING HAD LANDED WITH NOTHING WRONG WITH IT; BUT THE APU NEEDED SVCED SUPPOSEDLY WITH 3 QUARTS OF OIL. WE RECENTLY STARTED DOING BUYBACKS BECAUSE OF THE NEW PEOPLE WE HAVE WORKING FOR US. THE ONLY THING IS; EVEN THOUGH WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE WORK BEING DONE ONCE IT IS FINISHED THERE ARE NOW 3 INDIVIDUALS WHO CAN SIGN OFF ALL OF THE WORKLOAD. WE NORMALLY GET ABOUT 5 OR 6 PLANES A NIGHT. PLANNING SENDS US UNREALISTIC WORKLOADS TO BE DONE; EVEN WITH THE NEW PEOPLE. AFTER EVERYTHING WAS ALL SAID AND DONE; ALTHOUGH SEVERAL OTHER INDIVIDUALS HAD BEEN ON THE PREVIOUS ACFT; NONE OF THEM COULD SIGN OFF THE ACFT. I SPOKE WITH THE OTHER INDIVIDUALS AND THEY ALL ASSURED ME EVERYTHING WAS DONE AND THAT THEY HAD GONE BACK AND CHKED THE WORK OF THE MECH ON THAT ACFT. THE MECH HAD SIGNED OFF ON ALL OF THE WORK FOR THE BETTER PART SO AGAINST MY BETTER JUDGEMENT I BOUGHT THE INDIVIDUAL BACK ON HIS PAPERWORK AROUND XA30 OR SO IN THE MORNING WHICH IS CUTTING IT TO THE WIRE SINCE THE CREWS SHOW UP AROUND XB15 OR SO TO DO THEIR CHKS AND THE QUALITY ASSURANCE PERSONNEL STILL NEEDED TO DO THEIR CHKS AND RESEARCH. I BRIEFLY READ OVER WHAT I WAS SIGNING; BUT IT STILL DIDN'T DAWN ON ME THAT IT WAS A ROUTINE AND SO I HADN'T CHKED TO SEE IF ANYONE HAD SVCED THE APU (ESPECIALLY SINCE I WAS THE ONE WHO HAD BEEN IN THERE). I SAW THE STATEMENTS ABOUT THE OILS AND EVERYTHING WAS ALL SIGNED OFF BY THE MECH SO I BOUGHT HIM BACK THINKING HE COULDN'T MESS IT UP. THE ACFT BELONGS TO ACR X AND SUPPOSEDLY THEY WERE UPSET THAT SOMEONE HADN'T BEEN DOING THEIR JOB. MYSELF AND THE ONLY OTHER MECH WHO SIGNED ANYTHING ON THAT ACFT OFF WERE TOLD IF WE DIDN'T COME UP WITH STATEMENTS IN THE NEXT 20 MINS THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE SUSPENDED AND OUR BADGES TAKEN AWAY UNTIL THE STATION MGR RETURNED FROM HIS BUSINESS TRIP WHICH COULD HAVE LASTED ANYWHERE FROM 1 WK TO AS LONG AS A MONTH. SUPPOSEDLY; THIS WAS BEING BACKED BY OUR NIGHT MGR; STATION MGR; AND A GENTLEMAN WHO OVERSEES MOST IF NOT ALL OF THE WORK THROUGHOUT ACR Y NAMED MR X. I FEEL LIKE IF WE THE MECH AREN'T A LEAD; EITHER DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE MAINT ON AN ACFT OR ONLY DID SPECIFIC ITEMS ON THAT ACFT THEN THAT IS ALL WE SHOULD BE ASKED TO SIGN OFF. I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE MORE TRAINING OR OTHER WAYS TO HELP DECREASE THE TIME IT TAKES TO FILL OUT PAPERWORK AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE A WAY TO MAKE SURE WHEN SITUATIONS ARISE LIKE INDIVIDUALS BEING AN OUTCAST BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO LACK TRAINING OR ETHICS THEN THERE SHOULD BE SOMEONE MECHS CAN TURN TO OUTSIDE OF THEIR STATION TO MAKE THE SITUATION KNOWN; AND IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KEEP PAIRS TOGETHER WHILE WORKING ON AN ACFT SO THAT IT IS KNOWN WHAT WORK IS BEING DONE AS THE PAPERWORK IS BEING SIGNED OFF AS COMPLETED. THAT WAY IF IT WASN'T THE INDIVIDUAL WORKING ON THAT ACFT; THEN THE WORK NOT COMPLETED WOULD BE KNOWN AFTER LOOKING AT THE DESCRIPTION ON THE WORK CARDS TO BE PERFORMED. AS FOR THE PERSON DOING THE BUYBACKS; EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE PAYING ATTN TO WHAT THE OTHER MECHS DID; WHO IS CHKING ON THEM TO KEEP THEM FROM MISSING SOMETHING LIKE I DID.

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.