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A maintenance person questions an unsafe procedure in the airbus A300 maintenance manual requiring mechanics to attach the hold open rod while trying to manually push open the engine cowl when hydraulic function fails.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 775796 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200802 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| ASRS Report | 775796 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | oversight : supervisor |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : tooling contributing factor : non availability of parts contributing factor : manuals |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Environmental Factor Aircraft Chart Or Publication |
Narrative:
I received a phone call from ZZZ that a manager instructed mechanics to open a reverser cowling with 2 people because that's what the maintenance manual calls out for when the hydraulic function fails. The manual also tells you not to get between the engine and the cowling. My question is; how can you attach the hold open rod while you are trying to push open the cowling? I believe that this is a safety hazard and the A300 maintenance manual procedure for opening this cowling manually should be changed. If the cowling does not open hydraulically; there should be a cable harness rig installed and a hand crank cherry picker used to open the cowling. When the A300 reverser cowling does not open using hydraulics; the manual instructs you to open it with 2 or more people; creating a safety hazard. This creates a possible crushing hazard; between the engine and cowling.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A MAINT PERSON QUESTIONS AN UNSAFE PROCEDURE IN THE AIRBUS A300 MAINT MANUAL REQUIRING MECHANICS TO ATTACH THE HOLD OPEN ROD WHILE TRYING TO MANUALLY PUSH OPEN THE ENG COWL WHEN HYDRAULIC FUNCTION FAILS.
Narrative: I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM ZZZ THAT A MGR INSTRUCTED MECHS TO OPEN A REVERSER COWLING WITH 2 PEOPLE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE MAINT MANUAL CALLS OUT FOR WHEN THE HYD FUNCTION FAILS. THE MANUAL ALSO TELLS YOU NOT TO GET BTWN THE ENG AND THE COWLING. MY QUESTION IS; HOW CAN YOU ATTACH THE HOLD OPEN ROD WHILE YOU ARE TRYING TO PUSH OPEN THE COWLING? I BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AND THE A300 MAINT MANUAL PROC FOR OPENING THIS COWLING MANUALLY SHOULD BE CHANGED. IF THE COWLING DOES NOT OPEN HYDRAULICALLY; THERE SHOULD BE A CABLE HARNESS RIG INSTALLED AND A HAND CRANK CHERRY PICKER USED TO OPEN THE COWLING. WHEN THE A300 REVERSER COWLING DOES NOT OPEN USING HYDS; THE MANUAL INSTRUCTS YOU TO OPEN IT WITH 2 OR MORE PEOPLE; CREATING A SAFETY HAZARD. THIS CREATES A POSSIBLE CRUSHING HAZARD; BTWN THE ENG AND COWLING.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.