Cl-65 (crj-200) cargo fire bottles tend to partially discharge in high heat conditions. Mechanic bel...

Attributes
ACN	750643
Time
Date	200708
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	other
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Regional Jet 200 ER&LR
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
ASRS Report	750643
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : cargo fire bottles discharged
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : weather contributing factor : briefing contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : training
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Environmental Factor Company Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication

Narrative:

Forced under duress of termination to comply with the below stated unsafe memo. During days of extreme high temperatures; heat buildup in the aft equipment bay on the CRJ200 has caused cargo fire bottles to partially thermal discharge; thus causing the cargo fire bottle low EICAS message. In order to combat this problem we have rented portable air-conditioning units; along with generators; that have ducts that can be placed in the aft equipment bay. Effective immediately; maintenance control will be tasked with daily monitoring of the fleet on the ground. If the ambient air temperature reaches 95 degrees and an aircraft (CRJ200 only) is sitting on the ground for an hour or more (scheduled or unscheduled); maintenance control will contact the lead technician and advise him that the aircraft requires cooling of the aft equipment bay. Maintenance control will generate an out of service indicating that the aircraft requires cooling of the aft equipment bay. Maintenance will make every effort to ensure that the aircraft receives cooling. The unsafe practice of installing ground air conditioning carts to the aft equipment bay on aircraft that do not need them; potentially hiding bleed air leaks. Complied with the above memo under threat of termination if I did not comply. A change in policy that allows management to force employees into performing actions that are unsafe using threats of discipline.callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he is in maintenance control and believes the maintenance directive does not address the issue of pneumatic bleed leaks. The overheat detection system for hot bleed air leaks may not be triggered by a bleed leak; but; the cumulative heat build-up in the aft equipment bay will cause a thermal discharge in the cargo fire bottles. Reporter also feels if his company would at least require that mechanics check for pneumatic leaks before attaching the ground air conditioning cart to the aircraft; this would satisfy the issue of known bleed leaks in that compartment area. The cargo fire bottles have a visual pressure gauge on each bottle; as well as the EICAS system cockpit warning fire bottle low pressure indication.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CL-65 (CRJ-200) CARGO FIRE BOTTLES TEND TO PARTIALLY DISCHARGE IN HIGH HEAT CONDITIONS. MECHANIC BELIEVES COMPANY DIRECTIVE TO ADDRESS ISSUE IS UNSAFE.

Narrative: FORCED UNDER DURESS OF TERMINATION TO COMPLY WITH THE BELOW STATED UNSAFE MEMO. DURING DAYS OF EXTREME HIGH TEMPERATURES; HEAT BUILDUP IN THE AFT EQUIPMENT BAY ON THE CRJ200 HAS CAUSED CARGO FIRE BOTTLES TO PARTIALLY THERMAL DISCHARGE; THUS CAUSING THE CARGO FIRE BOTTLE LOW EICAS MESSAGE. IN ORDER TO COMBAT THIS PROBLEM WE HAVE RENTED PORTABLE AIR-CONDITIONING UNITS; ALONG WITH GENERATORS; THAT HAVE DUCTS THAT CAN BE PLACED IN THE AFT EQUIPMENT BAY. EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY; MAINTENANCE CONTROL WILL BE TASKED WITH DAILY MONITORING OF THE FLEET ON THE GROUND. IF THE AMBIENT AIR TEMPERATURE REACHES 95 DEGREES AND AN AIRCRAFT (CRJ200 ONLY) IS SITTING ON THE GROUND FOR AN HOUR OR MORE (SCHEDULED OR UNSCHEDULED); MAINTENANCE CONTROL WILL CONTACT THE LEAD TECHNICIAN AND ADVISE HIM THAT THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRES COOLING OF THE AFT EQUIPMENT BAY. MAINTENANCE CONTROL WILL GENERATE AN OUT OF SERVICE INDICATING THAT THE AIRCRAFT REQUIRES COOLING OF THE AFT EQUIPMENT BAY. MAINTENANCE WILL MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENSURE THAT THE AIRCRAFT RECEIVES COOLING. THE UNSAFE PRACTICE OF INSTALLING GND AIR CONDITIONING CARTS TO THE AFT EQUIPMENT BAY ON ACFT THAT DO NOT NEED THEM; POTENTIALLY HIDING BLEED AIR LEAKS. COMPLIED WITH THE ABOVE MEMO UNDER THREAT OF TERMINATION IF I DID NOT COMPLY. A CHANGE IN POLICY THAT ALLOWS MANAGEMENT TO FORCE EMPLOYEES INTO PERFORMING ACTIONS THAT ARE UNSAFE USING THREATS OF DISCIPLINE.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE IS IN MAINT CTL AND BELIEVES THE MAINT DIRECTIVE DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF PNEUMATIC BLEED LEAKS. THE OVERHEAT DETECTION SYSTEM FOR HOT BLEED AIR LEAKS MAY NOT BE TRIGGERED BY A BLEED LEAK; BUT; THE CUMULATIVE HEAT BUILD-UP IN THE AFT EQUIPMENT BAY WILL CAUSE A THERMAL DISCHARGE IN THE CARGO FIRE BOTTLES. RPTR ALSO FEELS IF HIS COMPANY WOULD AT LEAST REQUIRE THAT MECHANICS CHECK FOR PNEUMATIC LEAKS BEFORE ATTACHING THE GROUND AIR CONDITIONING CART TO THE ACFT; THIS WOULD SATISFY THE ISSUE OF KNOWN BLEED LEAKS IN THAT COMPARTMENT AREA. THE CARGO FIRE BOTTLES HAVE A VISUAL PRESSURE GAUGE ON EACH BOTTLE; AS WELL AS THE EICAS SYSTEM COCKPIT WARNING FIRE BOTTLE LOW PRESSURE INDICATION.

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.

Cl-65 (crj-200) cargo fire bottles tend to partially discharge in high heat conditions. Mechanic believes company directive to address issue is unsafe.