Narrative:

I troubleshot the pneumatic system for a pilot report of the gauge pegging in-flight. On engine run I determined that the pressure regulator was sticking. I removed the pressure regulator assembly and tested it in the shop with shop air and a regulator. I found the part bad and looked it up in the ipc and the o-rings before going home so that my supervisor could order them. When I returned to work the next morning; I began disassembling the old regulator from the attached check valves and hardware. I found that the by-pass air adapter assembly; that ports the hot pneumatic air which is by-passed to an overboard gang drain during the regulation; was broken. I checked our part room and we didn't have it. So I asked the parts person to order one. A short time later our director of maintenance; approached me and asked where the broken assembly was that I needed. I showed him and he said; 'well it's going back on; put get it back together.' I told him that I had the overhauled regulator now and would install it but that I needed a new adapter. He asked why I didn't tell him the day before. I stated that I didn't realize it was broken. He said; 'well it's too late to get one now so you're putting it back on.' then he walked away. So I installed everything else back in the aircraft except the broken adapter. Then at noon he came out and asked me if the plane was ready to be taken out of the hangar. I replied that I wasn't finished; but that it could go out if he needed. He asked what was left. I replied that the only thing left is to get a serviceable adapter to install. He became angry and told me to go in the office. He then wanted to know why I was such a problem. I told him I wasn't but that I couldn't install a broken unserviceable part on the aircraft. He then threatened to terminate me. I said that if that is what you want to do that it is fine and that I would go to the FAA and ask them if it was wrong for me to not want to install the part. He then said that I could fix it with epoxy per 43-14 and that it was legal. I said that I wasn't familiar with the repair and that the part is old and brittle and I didn't feel the repair would last. He said that he is the chief inspector and that he decides what is legal and what is serviceable. So I repaired the part with epoxy and reinstalled it. I had the engines run and leak checked the part. It checked out fine. I have since learned that we should have contacted raytheon for approval on a repair. I informed our director of maintenance today that I was filing a NASA report on the issue and suggested that we look into the matter to determine what the proper action should have been and if we need to change the adapter with a new one.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B100 WITH A RPT OF PNEUMATIC PRESSURE INDICATION PEGGED HIGH. FOUND PRESSURE REGULATOR VALVE FAILED. REPAIRED VALVE AND BYPASS ADAPTER ASSEMBLY. BYPASS ADAPTER ASSEMBLY REPAIR MAY NOT BE AN APPROVED REPAIR.

Narrative: I TROUBLESHOT THE PNEUMATIC SYS FOR A PLT RPT OF THE GAUGE PEGGING INFLT. ON ENG RUN I DETERMINED THAT THE PRESSURE REGULATOR WAS STICKING. I REMOVED THE PRESSURE REGULATOR ASSEMBLY AND TESTED IT IN THE SHOP WITH SHOP AIR AND A REGULATOR. I FOUND THE PART BAD AND LOOKED IT UP IN THE IPC AND THE O-RINGS BEFORE GOING HOME SO THAT MY SUPVR COULD ORDER THEM. WHEN I RETURNED TO WORK THE NEXT MORNING; I BEGAN DISASSEMBLING THE OLD REGULATOR FROM THE ATTACHED CHK VALVES AND HARDWARE. I FOUND THAT THE BY-PASS AIR ADAPTER ASSEMBLY; THAT PORTS THE HOT PNEUMATIC AIR WHICH IS BY-PASSED TO AN OVERBOARD GANG DRAIN DURING THE REGULATION; WAS BROKEN. I CHKED OUR PART ROOM AND WE DIDN'T HAVE IT. SO I ASKED THE PARTS PERSON TO ORDER ONE. A SHORT TIME LATER OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT; APCHED ME AND ASKED WHERE THE BROKEN ASSEMBLY WAS THAT I NEEDED. I SHOWED HIM AND HE SAID; 'WELL IT'S GOING BACK ON; PUT GET IT BACK TOGETHER.' I TOLD HIM THAT I HAD THE OVERHAULED REGULATOR NOW AND WOULD INSTALL IT BUT THAT I NEEDED A NEW ADAPTER. HE ASKED WHY I DIDN'T TELL HIM THE DAY BEFORE. I STATED THAT I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS BROKEN. HE SAID; 'WELL IT'S TOO LATE TO GET ONE NOW SO YOU'RE PUTTING IT BACK ON.' THEN HE WALKED AWAY. SO I INSTALLED EVERYTHING ELSE BACK IN THE ACFT EXCEPT THE BROKEN ADAPTER. THEN AT NOON HE CAME OUT AND ASKED ME IF THE PLANE WAS READY TO BE TAKEN OUT OF THE HANGAR. I REPLIED THAT I WASN'T FINISHED; BUT THAT IT COULD GO OUT IF HE NEEDED. HE ASKED WHAT WAS LEFT. I REPLIED THAT THE ONLY THING LEFT IS TO GET A SERVICEABLE ADAPTER TO INSTALL. HE BECAME ANGRY AND TOLD ME TO GO IN THE OFFICE. HE THEN WANTED TO KNOW WHY I WAS SUCH A PROB. I TOLD HIM I WASN'T BUT THAT I COULDN'T INSTALL A BROKEN UNSERVICEABLE PART ON THE ACFT. HE THEN THREATENED TO TERMINATE ME. I SAID THAT IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO THAT IT IS FINE AND THAT I WOULD GO TO THE FAA AND ASK THEM IF IT WAS WRONG FOR ME TO NOT WANT TO INSTALL THE PART. HE THEN SAID THAT I COULD FIX IT WITH EPOXY PER 43-14 AND THAT IT WAS LEGAL. I SAID THAT I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE REPAIR AND THAT THE PART IS OLD AND BRITTLE AND I DIDN'T FEEL THE REPAIR WOULD LAST. HE SAID THAT HE IS THE CHIEF INSPECTOR AND THAT HE DECIDES WHAT IS LEGAL AND WHAT IS SERVICEABLE. SO I REPAIRED THE PART WITH EPOXY AND REINSTALLED IT. I HAD THE ENGS RUN AND LEAK CHKED THE PART. IT CHKED OUT FINE. I HAVE SINCE LEARNED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE CONTACTED RAYTHEON FOR APPROVAL ON A REPAIR. I INFORMED OUR DIRECTOR OF MAINT TODAY THAT I WAS FILING A NASA RPT ON THE ISSUE AND SUGGESTED THAT WE LOOK INTO THE MATTER TO DETERMINE WHAT THE PROPER ACTION SHOULD HAVE BEEN AND IF WE NEED TO CHANGE THE ADAPTER WITH A NEW ONE.

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.