Narrative:

I work as an aircraft technician. My company serves several air carrier companies as an on call aircraft maintenance. I received a call from air carrier X maintenance control that I have to pick up parts and these parts needed to be installed on the coming aircraft due to drop dead MEL. They needed 2 mechanics to work on it; I said I am by myself working today and my supervisor does not work on sunday. I also asked him if they plan to work here why they did not call my supervisor so he can arrange to have more mechanics to do the work for them. Anyway the aircraft arrived and I asked him what you want me to do and he said to help the flight mechanic to install the engine #2 thrust reverser pdu which I did and I was working along with him in the removal and installation of the unit as he tells me what to do as we worked together. I never had any B747-200 formal training or even work on this type of aircraft before. So I was removing bolts; lines and ducts as he tells me and maintenance control never sent any amm or job card procedures. Air carrier X flight mechanic was on the phone with his maintenance control people most of the time during removal and installation and he accomplished the operational test and I mentioned to him that there is some oils coming out one of the pdu holes but he said this is normal due to over-servicing. After that he told me to install one of the 2 cables that connect the pdu to the thrust reverser jack screw mechanism that drive the thrust reverser to open and close position and I did so but the mounting plate screws were missing so he gave me one from his side and he told me one to put it in and he used a safety wire to take place of the missing screws. I completely disagreed and unsatisfied from this kind of work but I was under the assumption that I am only there to help him and he is the company mechanic and maybe this is something approved by his company to do. After all work and test completed I helped him to mount the engine and fan cowls and he closed all the latches. As I was getting ready to dispatch the aircraft and waited for around 1 hour suddenly the mechanic came to me and said this is an rii item so I have to sign as the removal/installation mechanic and he will sign as rii; I refused to do so but was instructed (forced) to do it which I did. I am not happy and feel I am being forced to sign and release the aircraft for service regardless of any objection I had about how the work was accomplished and no training or maintenance manual present at the work site. The reason I am submitting this because I don't want to be held responsible for any that may or may not happen any time now or in future as a result of this maintenance work accomplished on engine #2 thrust reverser system for aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 CARGO ACFT REQUIRED A #2 ENG T/R PDU REPLACEMENT. MECHANIC FEELS HE WAS FORCED TO SIGN-OFF FOR QUESTIONABLE WORK UNDER RII.

Narrative: I WORK AS AN ACFT TECHNICIAN. MY COMPANY SERVES SEVERAL ACR COMPANIES AS AN ON CALL ACFT MAINT. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ACR X MAINT CTL THAT I HAVE TO PICK UP PARTS AND THESE PARTS NEEDED TO BE INSTALLED ON THE COMING ACFT DUE TO DROP DEAD MEL. THEY NEEDED 2 MECHS TO WORK ON IT; I SAID I AM BY MYSELF WORKING TODAY AND MY SUPVR DOES NOT WORK ON SUNDAY. I ALSO ASKED HIM IF THEY PLAN TO WORK HERE WHY THEY DID NOT CALL MY SUPVR SO HE CAN ARRANGE TO HAVE MORE MECHS TO DO THE WORK FOR THEM. ANYWAY THE ACFT ARRIVED AND I ASKED HIM WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO AND HE SAID TO HELP THE FLT MECH TO INSTALL THE ENG #2 THRUST REVERSER PDU WHICH I DID AND I WAS WORKING ALONG WITH HIM IN THE REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION OF THE UNIT AS HE TELLS ME WHAT TO DO AS WE WORKED TOGETHER. I NEVER HAD ANY B747-200 FORMAL TRAINING OR EVEN WORK ON THIS TYPE OF ACFT BEFORE. SO I WAS REMOVING BOLTS; LINES AND DUCTS AS HE TELLS ME AND MAINT CTL NEVER SENT ANY AMM OR JOB CARD PROCS. ACR X FLT MECH WAS ON THE PHONE WITH HIS MAINT CTL PEOPLE MOST OF THE TIME DURING REMOVAL AND INSTALLATION AND HE ACCOMPLISHED THE OPERATIONAL TEST AND I MENTIONED TO HIM THAT THERE IS SOME OILS COMING OUT ONE OF THE PDU HOLES BUT HE SAID THIS IS NORMAL DUE TO OVER-SVCING. AFTER THAT HE TOLD ME TO INSTALL ONE OF THE 2 CABLES THAT CONNECT THE PDU TO THE THRUST REVERSER JACK SCREW MECHANISM THAT DRIVE THE THRUST REVERSER TO OPEN AND CLOSE POS AND I DID SO BUT THE MOUNTING PLATE SCREWS WERE MISSING SO HE GAVE ME ONE FROM HIS SIDE AND HE TOLD ME ONE TO PUT IT IN AND HE USED A SAFETY WIRE TO TAKE PLACE OF THE MISSING SCREWS. I COMPLETELY DISAGREED AND UNSATISFIED FROM THIS KIND OF WORK BUT I WAS UNDER THE ASSUMPTION THAT I AM ONLY THERE TO HELP HIM AND HE IS THE COMPANY MECH AND MAYBE THIS IS SOMETHING APPROVED BY HIS COMPANY TO DO. AFTER ALL WORK AND TEST COMPLETED I HELPED HIM TO MOUNT THE ENG AND FAN COWLS AND HE CLOSED ALL THE LATCHES. AS I WAS GETTING READY TO DISPATCH THE ACFT AND WAITED FOR AROUND 1 HR SUDDENLY THE MECH CAME TO ME AND SAID THIS IS AN RII ITEM SO I HAVE TO SIGN AS THE REMOVAL/INSTALLATION MECH AND HE WILL SIGN AS RII; I REFUSED TO DO SO BUT WAS INSTRUCTED (FORCED) TO DO IT WHICH I DID. I AM NOT HAPPY AND FEEL I AM BEING FORCED TO SIGN AND RELEASE THE ACFT FOR SVC REGARDLESS OF ANY OBJECTION I HAD ABOUT HOW THE WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND NO TRAINING OR MAINT MANUAL PRESENT AT THE WORK SITE. THE REASON I AM SUBMITTING THIS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY THAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAPPEN ANY TIME NOW OR IN FUTURE AS A RESULT OF THIS MAINT WORK ACCOMPLISHED ON ENG #2 THRUST REVERSER SYS FOR ACFT.

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.