Narrative:

At the start of my shift cc told us that management gave him a directive for amt's working domestic flts not to do walkaround inspections on aircraft. Amt should only check logbooks. At approximately XA00 pm supervisor held crew meeting informing us that jfk is not manned for inspections on domestic trips; only for checking logbooks. Amt's are instructed to only check logbooks for inbound items. Shift is only manned for gate calls; let flight crews accomplish inspections as preflight. Mr X says like to make sure everyone is on same page. While inspecting a nose tire on aircraft; I saw a large area on the l-hand side of aircraft just aft of the nose gear that was covered in scratch marks. While look to see if a marking was applied to the damaged area of the fuselage; I noticed the telltale sign of a lightning strike. I decided to check the logbook for documentation of the strike which there was none so I called the lightning strike in over the radio. Supervisor came out to the aircraft to find out about the strike. Mr Y was also called out to the aircraft to look at the lightning strike. After my findings were confirmed; supervisor mr X asked me how I found it and why was I doing a walkaround inspection on the aircraft. I believe this occurrence is a direct cause for the directive from management. During crew meeting mr X was asked what was expected of amt's. Expectation of responsibilities for amt's were not specific and confusing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that walkarounds are required on ETOPS checks; overnight checks and service type checks. The issue of logbook release may in fact require an external walkaround to verify a maintenance condition. Callback conversation with reporter acn 729665 revealed the following information: reporter stated the shift manager came down the following day and told mechanics to ignore the comments previously stated by their supervisor.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANICS REPORT BEING TOLD NOT TO DO WALKAROUND CHECKS ON DOMESTIC FLIGHTS.

Narrative: AT THE START OF MY SHIFT CC TOLD US THAT MGMNT GAVE HIM A DIRECTIVE FOR AMT'S WORKING DOMESTIC FLTS NOT TO DO WALKAROUND INSPECTIONS ON ACFT. AMT SHOULD ONLY CHK LOGBOOKS. AT APPROX XA00 PM SUPVR HELD CREW MEETING INFORMING US THAT JFK IS NOT MANNED FOR INSPECTIONS ON DOMESTIC TRIPS; ONLY FOR CHKING LOGBOOKS. AMT'S ARE INSTRUCTED TO ONLY CHK LOGBOOKS FOR INBOUND ITEMS. SHIFT IS ONLY MANNED FOR GATE CALLS; LET FLT CREWS ACCOMPLISH INSPECTIONS AS PREFLT. MR X SAYS LIKE TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS ON SAME PAGE. WHILE INSPECTING A NOSE TIRE ON ACFT; I SAW A LARGE AREA ON THE L-HAND SIDE OF ACFT JUST AFT OF THE NOSE GEAR THAT WAS COVERED IN SCRATCH MARKS. WHILE LOOK TO SEE IF A MARKING WAS APPLIED TO THE DAMAGED AREA OF THE FUSELAGE; I NOTICED THE TELLTALE SIGN OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE. I DECIDED TO CHK THE LOGBOOK FOR DOCUMENTATION OF THE STRIKE WHICH THERE WAS NONE SO I CALLED THE LIGHTNING STRIKE IN OVER THE RADIO. SUPVR CAME OUT TO THE ACFT TO FIND OUT ABOUT THE STRIKE. MR Y WAS ALSO CALLED OUT TO THE ACFT TO LOOK AT THE LIGHTNING STRIKE. AFTER MY FINDINGS WERE CONFIRMED; SUPVR MR X ASKED ME HOW I FOUND IT AND WHY WAS I DOING A WALKAROUND INSPECTION ON THE ACFT. I BELIEVE THIS OCCURRENCE IS A DIRECT CAUSE FOR THE DIRECTIVE FROM MGMNT. DURING CREW MEETING MR X WAS ASKED WHAT WAS EXPECTED OF AMT'S. EXPECTATION OF RESPONSIBILITIES FOR AMT'S WERE NOT SPECIFIC AND CONFUSING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT WALKAROUNDS ARE REQUIRED ON ETOPS CHECKS; OVERNIGHT CHECKS AND SERVICE TYPE CHECKS. THE ISSUE OF LOGBOOK RELEASE MAY IN FACT REQUIRE AN EXTERNAL WALKAROUND TO VERIFY A MAINT CONDITION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 729665 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE SHIFT MANAGER CAME DOWN THE FOLLOWING DAY AND TOLD MECHANICS TO IGNORE THE COMMENTS PREVIOUSLY STATED BY THEIR SUPERVISOR.

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.