Mechanic describes how a continuing problem with a cross-tie relay light on that would not reset on ...

Attributes
ACN	800132
Time
Date	200808
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
ASRS Report	800132
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : briefing performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : fault isolation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

On preflight; called out by crew. Pilot stated aircraft cross-tie relay light on and would not reset. After several maintenance procedures; advised crew I would have to re-placard problem. Made new logbook entry; called maintenance control. Told them the same problem occurring as previous MEL. Previous work performed that night did not fix problem. Aircraft had not flown. Needed MEL reissued. Also; made entry in the log sheet. Maintenance representative asked if I had called dispatch desk. Told him no; this is not my responsibility. SOP is for maintenance control and dispatch to concur for MEL issuance. He then told me and forwarded me to a dispatch desk. Dispatch representative told me they would need flight number and authority/authorized code. Immediately called back; talked again to same representative. Was told in effect they could have given me that information. After receiving information; again I was xferred back to dispatch desk aircraft X. After a short delay because of a change of shift personnel was occurring; relayed required information. After several mins; told MEL was good and reissued. Aircraft was good to go; released for revenue service. Logbook computer entries were made by leads on duty as this is standard procedure at my station. It is not my responsibility if other computer entries were improperly made or omitted by other departments (dispatch and maintenance control). With over 22 yrs of line experience; I would never reissue an MEL deferral without following the chain of command for authority/authorized of an MEL. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the problem occurred when the flight crew was attempting to transfer electrical from external ground power to APU power. Maintenance thought they had corrected the problem during the overnight check; so the deferred MEL and item number was cleared. But the cross-tie relay internal springs were locking and not allowing the relay to allow the electrical transfer. Reporter stated the aircraft should not have been released with the same MEL number that was previously cleared; when the cross-tie relay again failed to allow the power transfer.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC DESCRIBES HOW A CONTINUING PROBLEM WITH A CROSS-TIE RELAY LIGHT ON THAT WOULD NOT RESET ON AN MD-80; LED TO AN INADVERTENT REISSUE OF THE SAME MEL DEFERRAL NUMBER THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY CLEARED.

Narrative: ON PREFLT; CALLED OUT BY CREW. PLT STATED ACFT CROSS-TIE RELAY LIGHT ON AND WOULD NOT RESET. AFTER SEVERAL MAINT PROCS; ADVISED CREW I WOULD HAVE TO RE-PLACARD PROB. MADE NEW LOGBOOK ENTRY; CALLED MAINT CTL. TOLD THEM THE SAME PROB OCCURRING AS PREVIOUS MEL. PREVIOUS WORK PERFORMED THAT NIGHT DID NOT FIX PROB. ACFT HAD NOT FLOWN. NEEDED MEL REISSUED. ALSO; MADE ENTRY IN THE LOG SHEET. MAINT REPRESENTATIVE ASKED IF I HAD CALLED DISPATCH DESK. TOLD HIM NO; THIS IS NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY. SOP IS FOR MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH TO CONCUR FOR MEL ISSUANCE. HE THEN TOLD ME AND FORWARDED ME TO A DISPATCH DESK. DISPATCH REPRESENTATIVE TOLD ME THEY WOULD NEED FLT NUMBER AND AUTH CODE. IMMEDIATELY CALLED BACK; TALKED AGAIN TO SAME REPRESENTATIVE. WAS TOLD IN EFFECT THEY COULD HAVE GIVEN ME THAT INFO. AFTER RECEIVING INFO; AGAIN I WAS XFERRED BACK TO DISPATCH DESK ACFT X. AFTER A SHORT DELAY BECAUSE OF A CHANGE OF SHIFT PERSONNEL WAS OCCURRING; RELAYED REQUIRED INFO. AFTER SEVERAL MINS; TOLD MEL WAS GOOD AND REISSUED. ACFT WAS GOOD TO GO; RELEASED FOR REVENUE SVC. LOGBOOK COMPUTER ENTRIES WERE MADE BY LEADS ON DUTY AS THIS IS STANDARD PROC AT MY STATION. IT IS NOT MY RESPONSIBILITY IF OTHER COMPUTER ENTRIES WERE IMPROPERLY MADE OR OMITTED BY OTHER DEPTS (DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL). WITH OVER 22 YRS OF LINE EXPERIENCE; I WOULD NEVER REISSUE AN MEL DEFERRAL WITHOUT FOLLOWING THE CHAIN OF COMMAND FOR AUTH OF AN MEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE PROBLEM OCCURRED WHEN THE FLIGHT CREW WAS ATTEMPTING TO TRANSFER ELECTRICAL FROM EXTERNAL GROUND POWER TO APU POWER. MAINT THOUGHT THEY HAD CORRECTED THE PROBLEM DURING THE OVERNIGHT CHECK; SO THE DEFERRED MEL AND ITEM NUMBER WAS CLEARED. BUT THE CROSS-TIE RELAY INTERNAL SPRINGS WERE LOCKING AND NOT ALLOWING THE RELAY TO ALLOW THE ELECTRICAL TRANSFER. REPORTER STATED THE ACFT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITH THE SAME MEL NUMBER THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY CLEARED; WHEN THE CROSS-TIE RELAY AGAIN FAILED TO ALLOW THE POWER TRANSFER.

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.

Mechanic describes how a continuing problem with a cross-tie relay light on that would not reset on an md-80; led to an inadvertent reissue of the same MEL deferral number that was previously cleared.