Narrative:

I was dispatched to aircraft X for a seal on the left inboard wing fairing seal that was damaged. The seal was torn and partially missing. I removed the portion of the seal that was torn away from the fairing. I covered the missing seal area with aluminum tape. I placed the item on a non routine work card for repair with supervisor approval for repair within 150 flight hours. I was notified several hours later that unless the amm calls for allowable approval for a watch item; that the procedure I followed is no longer approved. I was notified later in my shift by the night shift supervisor that the procedure I followed was changed in the general maintenance manual and was no longer applicable. The aircraft fairing was replaced with a svcable part by a day shift mechanic a few days later. The general maintenance manual is the reference along with the amm for what is and is not allowable for items to be placed on scheduled watch items. The general maintenance manual is changed regularly and without timely notice being given to the personnel who use it the most. Even when a change is noted; the general maintenance manual frequently contradicts itself with other portions of the manual. Having it on a computer hard drive instead of a hard copy where it can be more easily used also leads to errors happening more often than they would if the manual were more accessible to its users. Make the general maintenance manual more accessible and easier to use for the mechanics.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC IS NOTIFIED BY MAINT SUPERVISOR THE PROCEDURE HE USED FOR TAPING A MISSING SECTION OF THE LEFT INBOARD WING FAIRING SEAL ON A SAAB 340B WAS NO LONGER APPROVED.

Narrative: I WAS DISPATCHED TO ACFT X FOR A SEAL ON THE L INBOARD WING FAIRING SEAL THAT WAS DAMAGED. THE SEAL WAS TORN AND PARTIALLY MISSING. I REMOVED THE PORTION OF THE SEAL THAT WAS TORN AWAY FROM THE FAIRING. I COVERED THE MISSING SEAL AREA WITH ALUMINUM TAPE. I PLACED THE ITEM ON A NON ROUTINE WORK CARD FOR REPAIR WITH SUPVR APPROVAL FOR REPAIR WITHIN 150 FLT HRS. I WAS NOTIFIED SEVERAL HRS LATER THAT UNLESS THE AMM CALLS FOR ALLOWABLE APPROVAL FOR A WATCH ITEM; THAT THE PROC I FOLLOWED IS NO LONGER APPROVED. I WAS NOTIFIED LATER IN MY SHIFT BY THE NIGHT SHIFT SUPVR THAT THE PROC I FOLLOWED WAS CHANGED IN THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL AND WAS NO LONGER APPLICABLE. THE ACFT FAIRING WAS REPLACED WITH A SVCABLE PART BY A DAY SHIFT MECHANIC A FEW DAYS LATER. THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL IS THE REF ALONG WITH THE AMM FOR WHAT IS AND IS NOT ALLOWABLE FOR ITEMS TO BE PLACED ON SCHEDULED WATCH ITEMS. THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL IS CHANGED REGULARLY AND WITHOUT TIMELY NOTICE BEING GIVEN TO THE PERSONNEL WHO USE IT THE MOST. EVEN WHEN A CHANGE IS NOTED; THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL FREQUENTLY CONTRADICTS ITSELF WITH OTHER PORTIONS OF THE MANUAL. HAVING IT ON A COMPUTER HARD DRIVE INSTEAD OF A HARD COPY WHERE IT CAN BE MORE EASILY USED ALSO LEADS TO ERRORS HAPPENING MORE OFTEN THAN THEY WOULD IF THE MANUAL WERE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO ITS USERS. MAKE THE GENERAL MAINT MANUAL MORE ACCESSIBLE AND EASIER TO USE FOR THE MECHS.

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.