Narrative:

New employee. The director of maintenance asked me to sign off an annual as the other mechanics with 8 yrs seniority completed an extensive 100 hour inspection. 2 mechanics involved both assured me the aircraft had been completely svced and inspected. The aircraft appeared to be in excellent condition; as did the logs and paperwork. I signed off the annual after a brief look-over. Shortly thereafter; the aircraft came in with a squawk involving the fuel system. Further investigation revealed a total lack of attention in several areas of the aircraft. My ia renewal reminded me that the ia has to do the inspection and cannot sign off an aircraft inspected by a mechanic. Contributing factors include the fact that I have not been working for anyone else but myself in the past; and I felt obligated to function as a team with the other mechanics. I trusted the director of operations and my fellow mechanics. Corrective actions taken were to express my dissatisfaction to the director of operations and mechanics in this hangar. I will only sign off my own work now. The aircraft involved was inspected and unairworthy items were corrected. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he will no longer accept the word of others; including the word of the director of operations; that a complete look over by the inspector is not necessary prior to signing-off an annual inspection. Reporter also stated this FBO company continues to push the same maintenance policy of less oversight of the mechanics' work by the ia's during 100 hour annuals is appropriate and adequate. Even though this very same attitude caused another aircraft to return for maintenance issues. Reporter concluded by stating that when others around you are pressured into believing this attitude is acceptable; then maintenance standards start to slip.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A NEW EMPLOYEE WITH AN INSPECTION AUTHORITY (IA) CERTIFICATE; SIGNS OFF A 100 HOUR ANNUAL INSPECTION AFTER A BRIEF LOOK OVER OF A CESSNA T-207. WAS TOLD THE ACFT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SERVICED AND INSPECTED BY OTHER MECHS. ACFT LATER RETURNED WITH FUEL SYSTEM ISSUE AND SEVERAL OTHER AREAS NEEDING MAINT.

Narrative: NEW EMPLOYEE. THE DIRECTOR OF MAINT ASKED ME TO SIGN OFF AN ANNUAL AS THE OTHER MECHS WITH 8 YRS SENIORITY COMPLETED AN EXTENSIVE 100 HR INSPECTION. 2 MECHS INVOLVED BOTH ASSURED ME THE ACFT HAD BEEN COMPLETELY SVCED AND INSPECTED. THE ACFT APPEARED TO BE IN EXCELLENT CONDITION; AS DID THE LOGS AND PAPERWORK. I SIGNED OFF THE ANNUAL AFTER A BRIEF LOOK-OVER. SHORTLY THEREAFTER; THE ACFT CAME IN WITH A SQUAWK INVOLVING THE FUEL SYS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED A TOTAL LACK OF ATTN IN SEVERAL AREAS OF THE ACFT. MY IA RENEWAL REMINDED ME THAT THE IA HAS TO DO THE INSPECTION AND CANNOT SIGN OFF AN ACFT INSPECTED BY A MECH. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS INCLUDE THE FACT THAT I HAVE NOT BEEN WORKING FOR ANYONE ELSE BUT MYSELF IN THE PAST; AND I FELT OBLIGATED TO FUNCTION AS A TEAM WITH THE OTHER MECHS. I TRUSTED THE DIRECTOR OF OPS AND MY FELLOW MECHS. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS TAKEN WERE TO EXPRESS MY DISSATISFACTION TO THE DIRECTOR OF OPS AND MECHS IN THIS HANGAR. I WILL ONLY SIGN OFF MY OWN WORK NOW. THE ACFT INVOLVED WAS INSPECTED AND UNAIRWORTHY ITEMS WERE CORRECTED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE WILL NO LONGER ACCEPT THE WORD OF OTHERS; INCLUDING THE WORD OF THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS; THAT A COMPLETE LOOK OVER BY THE INSPECTOR IS NOT NECESSARY PRIOR TO SIGNING-OFF AN ANNUAL INSPECTION. REPORTER ALSO STATED THIS FBO COMPANY CONTINUES TO PUSH THE SAME MAINT POLICY OF LESS OVERSIGHT OF THE MECHANICS' WORK BY THE IA'S DURING 100 HOUR ANNUALS IS APPROPRIATE AND ADEQUATE. EVEN THOUGH THIS VERY SAME ATTITUDE CAUSED ANOTHER ACFT TO RETURN FOR MAINT ISSUES. REPORTER CONCLUDED BY STATING THAT WHEN OTHERS AROUND YOU ARE PRESSURED INTO BELIEVING THIS ATTITUDE IS ACCEPTABLE; THEN MAINT STANDARDS START TO SLIP.

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.