Narrative:

I went out to aircraft X at approximately XA00 to conduct a general visual inspection of the nose gear that the crew requested because of an incident at the previous station. The crew did not document their request for the inspection and after performing the general visual inspection I also did not document the inspection prior to release of the aircraft for flight. The gear inspection was repeated and the aircraft was released for service with no defects found. Shortly after coming on shift on the date in question I was temporarily filling in as second shift crew chief because the regular lead was indisposed. I did not know that I would be filling in until the first shift lead was walking out the door. I was busy trying to get a handle on the turnover at the same time I was handing out other jobs. It was an unusually busy time and in short order all of the mechanics on shift were busy working on aircraft. At that time aircraft X called in requesting a visual inspection of its nose gear because of a towbar incident in ZZZ. Since there were no other mechanics available at the time and the plane was boarded and ready to go I went out to the plane myself to see what was going on. I did a gear visual inspection of the gear and observed no abnormalities. I talked to the crew and the captain communicated that he didn't think a write-up was necessary. I took it that he didn't believe that there were any actual problems and that he just wanted a second pair of eyes to verify that. I told him that I didn't observe any faults and he thanked me and said they would be going then. I agreed not to document it because I had observed no faults and that I thought it was important that I quickly get back to the office and continue to perform the lead duties. Don't let the pressures of making a schedule affect decision making. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that after he had accomplished the general visual inspection of the nose gear; a chief pilot at a downline station had requested a written logbook write-up be made by the flight crew and signed by that station's maintenance. A second visual inspection was completed without any discrepancies found and the aircraft was re-released for service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAD MECHANIC CONDUCTED A GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR ON AN EMB-145LR (ERJ-145LR) PER PILOT'S VERBAL REQUEST. PILOT DID NOT MAKE A WRITE-UP; AND LEAD DID NOT DOCUMENT INSPECTION PRIOR TO RELEASE.

Narrative: I WENT OUT TO ACFT X AT APPROX XA00 TO CONDUCT A GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR THAT THE CREW REQUESTED BECAUSE OF AN INCIDENT AT THE PREVIOUS STATION. THE CREW DID NOT DOCUMENT THEIR REQUEST FOR THE INSPECTION AND AFTER PERFORMING THE GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION I ALSO DID NOT DOCUMENT THE INSPECTION PRIOR TO RELEASE OF THE ACFT FOR FLT. THE GEAR INSPECTION WAS REPEATED AND THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR SVC WITH NO DEFECTS FOUND. SHORTLY AFTER COMING ON SHIFT ON THE DATE IN QUESTION I WAS TEMPORARILY FILLING IN AS SECOND SHIFT CREW CHIEF BECAUSE THE REGULAR LEAD WAS INDISPOSED. I DID NOT KNOW THAT I WOULD BE FILLING IN UNTIL THE FIRST SHIFT LEAD WAS WALKING OUT THE DOOR. I WAS BUSY TRYING TO GET A HANDLE ON THE TURNOVER AT THE SAME TIME I WAS HANDING OUT OTHER JOBS. IT WAS AN UNUSUALLY BUSY TIME AND IN SHORT ORDER ALL OF THE MECHS ON SHIFT WERE BUSY WORKING ON ACFT. AT THAT TIME ACFT X CALLED IN REQUESTING A VISUAL INSPECTION OF ITS NOSE GEAR BECAUSE OF A TOWBAR INCIDENT IN ZZZ. SINCE THERE WERE NO OTHER MECHS AVAILABLE AT THE TIME AND THE PLANE WAS BOARDED AND READY TO GO I WENT OUT TO THE PLANE MYSELF TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. I DID A GEAR VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE GEAR AND OBSERVED NO ABNORMALITIES. I TALKED TO THE CREW AND THE CAPT COMMUNICATED THAT HE DIDN'T THINK A WRITE-UP WAS NECESSARY. I TOOK IT THAT HE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT THERE WERE ANY ACTUAL PROBS AND THAT HE JUST WANTED A SECOND PAIR OF EYES TO VERIFY THAT. I TOLD HIM THAT I DIDN'T OBSERVE ANY FAULTS AND HE THANKED ME AND SAID THEY WOULD BE GOING THEN. I AGREED NOT TO DOCUMENT IT BECAUSE I HAD OBSERVED NO FAULTS AND THAT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT I QUICKLY GET BACK TO THE OFFICE AND CONTINUE TO PERFORM THE LEAD DUTIES. DON'T LET THE PRESSURES OF MAKING A SCHEDULE AFFECT DECISION MAKING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT AFTER HE HAD ACCOMPLISHED THE GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE NOSE GEAR; A CHIEF PILOT AT A DOWNLINE STATION HAD REQUESTED A WRITTEN LOGBOOK WRITE-UP BE MADE BY THE FLIGHT CREW AND SIGNED BY THAT STATION'S MAINT. A SECOND VISUAL INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT ANY DISCREPANCIES FOUND AND THE ACFT WAS RE-RELEASED FOR SERVICE.

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.