Narrative:

Inbound aircraft had a sink that would not shut off even with the valve turned; and autospoilers that did not deploy on landing. ACARS message was sent way ahead of time to alert inbound station. On gate arrival we were told the mechanic was somewhere close and would be 1-2 hours to the airport. 10 mins later we were told another mechanic had been located and he arrived 5 mins later by pulling his old white van with the magnetic signs 'xyz aircraft service' and the other part that said 'abc aircraft service' straight to the foot of the airplane. Security questions! Anyhow; mr X fixed the water problem and then went to fix the autospoiler problem. He started to begin his work with no reference to any checklists or books. I told him the work needed to be accomplished in accordance with our company's maintenance manual. He began to look to the back of the MEL for the maintenance manual. I told him that maintenance control usually faxes it to contractors. He went and called maintenance control. He and maintenance control decided that MEL X applied; which would also require MEL Y; the pulling of the automatic stow circuit breaker. After he had completed all of his work; he signed the logbook as accomplished. We were shutting the door and ready to go. I reviewed the logbook and MEL and found that he had not pulled the automatic stow breaker; but had pulled a different breaker. The MEL is quite clear as to this needing to be accomplished. I asked him why he did this; and he produced a hand written list as to what maintenance control had told him to do. He had not had the maintenance manual faxed. His hand written list did not have a step listed to pull the above breaker; but to pull another one which ended up also needing to be pulled. I told him that I did not know whether he had written it down wrong/incomplete or if maintenance control had told him incorrectly; but that it did not matter that the end result was still the same. Wrong; and aircraft would have flown illegally. He finally did get a faxed copy. Flight arrived very late. We should never allow any mechanic to work on our aircraft without a copy of the applicable sections of the company maintenance manual. If in extreme situations where a facsimile is totally unavailable; an exception may be granted. Just like pilots don't fly without a checklist; mechanics should not be allowed either. I felt uncomfortable with a truck with a shared magnetic sign that could go to the next job as mr Y's plumbing. Fixing our aircraft should require knowledge of our procedures. This is too important to outsource to the lowest bidders. Safety of passenger; crew and aircraft cannot be compromised.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A 737-800 CAPT RAISES SAFETY CONCERNS ABOUT THE USE OF AND THE LACK OF KNOWLEDGE AND PROFESSIONALISM OF A PARTICULAR MAINT SERVICE PROVIDER.

Narrative: INBOUND ACFT HAD A SINK THAT WOULD NOT SHUT OFF EVEN WITH THE VALVE TURNED; AND AUTOSPOILERS THAT DID NOT DEPLOY ON LNDG. ACARS MESSAGE WAS SENT WAY AHEAD OF TIME TO ALERT INBOUND STATION. ON GATE ARR WE WERE TOLD THE MECH WAS SOMEWHERE CLOSE AND WOULD BE 1-2 HRS TO THE ARPT. 10 MINS LATER WE WERE TOLD ANOTHER MECH HAD BEEN LOCATED AND HE ARRIVED 5 MINS LATER BY PULLING HIS OLD WHITE VAN WITH THE MAGNETIC SIGNS 'XYZ ACFT SVC' AND THE OTHER PART THAT SAID 'ABC ACFT SVC' STRAIGHT TO THE FOOT OF THE AIRPLANE. SECURITY QUESTIONS! ANYHOW; MR X FIXED THE WATER PROB AND THEN WENT TO FIX THE AUTOSPOILER PROB. HE STARTED TO BEGIN HIS WORK WITH NO REF TO ANY CHKLISTS OR BOOKS. I TOLD HIM THE WORK NEEDED TO BE ACCOMPLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR COMPANY'S MAINT MANUAL. HE BEGAN TO LOOK TO THE BACK OF THE MEL FOR THE MAINT MANUAL. I TOLD HIM THAT MAINT CTL USUALLY FAXES IT TO CONTRACTORS. HE WENT AND CALLED MAINT CTL. HE AND MAINT CTL DECIDED THAT MEL X APPLIED; WHICH WOULD ALSO REQUIRE MEL Y; THE PULLING OF THE AUTO STOW CIRCUIT BREAKER. AFTER HE HAD COMPLETED ALL OF HIS WORK; HE SIGNED THE LOGBOOK AS ACCOMPLISHED. WE WERE SHUTTING THE DOOR AND READY TO GO. I REVIEWED THE LOGBOOK AND MEL AND FOUND THAT HE HAD NOT PULLED THE AUTO STOW BREAKER; BUT HAD PULLED A DIFFERENT BREAKER. THE MEL IS QUITE CLR AS TO THIS NEEDING TO BE ACCOMPLISHED. I ASKED HIM WHY HE DID THIS; AND HE PRODUCED A HAND WRITTEN LIST AS TO WHAT MAINT CTL HAD TOLD HIM TO DO. HE HAD NOT HAD THE MAINT MANUAL FAXED. HIS HAND WRITTEN LIST DID NOT HAVE A STEP LISTED TO PULL THE ABOVE BREAKER; BUT TO PULL ANOTHER ONE WHICH ENDED UP ALSO NEEDING TO BE PULLED. I TOLD HIM THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHETHER HE HAD WRITTEN IT DOWN WRONG/INCOMPLETE OR IF MAINT CTL HAD TOLD HIM INCORRECTLY; BUT THAT IT DID NOT MATTER THAT THE END RESULT WAS STILL THE SAME. WRONG; AND ACFT WOULD HAVE FLOWN ILLEGALLY. HE FINALLY DID GET A FAXED COPY. FLT ARRIVED VERY LATE. WE SHOULD NEVER ALLOW ANY MECH TO WORK ON OUR ACFT WITHOUT A COPY OF THE APPLICABLE SECTIONS OF THE COMPANY MAINT MANUAL. IF IN EXTREME SITUATIONS WHERE A FAX IS TOTALLY UNAVAILABLE; AN EXCEPTION MAY BE GRANTED. JUST LIKE PLTS DON'T FLY WITHOUT A CHKLIST; MECHS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED EITHER. I FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WITH A TRUCK WITH A SHARED MAGNETIC SIGN THAT COULD GO TO THE NEXT JOB AS MR Y'S PLUMBING. FIXING OUR ACFT SHOULD REQUIRE KNOWLEDGE OF OUR PROCS. THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO OUTSOURCE TO THE LOWEST BIDDERS. SAFETY OF PAX; CREW AND ACFT CANNOT BE COMPROMISED.

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.