A mechanic questions a recent boeing standard wiring practices manual (swpm) revision; limiting the ...

Narrative:

This is my third report on this item. I keep getting told that the resolution will be that the verbiage is going to be removed (which it was at one point several years ago) from the standard wiring practices manual (spwm); but as of the latest swpm revision 42; june 2009; not only has it returned; but they even added a picture. Boeing standard wiring practices manual; chapter 20; document D6-54446; subject 20-10-13: repair of electrical wire; page 4 states that the maximum number of splices allowable per wire is three. We do not have a mechanism here at my air carrier to track the number of splices installed on a wire. Several years ago I filed a report on this very subject and the result was the verbiage on the maximum number being removed from the swpm. But I see now that it has returned. The june 2009 revision 42 version of the swpm 20-10-13; page 4; not only has the same three splice limit language; but it also has a picture! How we can possibly be held accountable to this requirement when we do not have a system in place to track the number of post production splices installed?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Mechanic questions a recent Boeing standard wiring practices manual (SWPM) revision; limiting the maximum number of post production wiring splices to three on a wire for all B737's. His carrier does not have a system to track the number of splices installed on any given wire run.

Narrative: This is my third report on this item. I keep getting told that the resolution will be that the verbiage is going to be removed (which it was at one point several years ago) from the standard wiring practices manual (SPWM); but as of the latest SWPM revision 42; June 2009; not only has it returned; but they even added a picture. Boeing Standard Wiring Practices Manual; Chapter 20; Document D6-54446; Subject 20-10-13: Repair of Electrical Wire; Page 4 states that the maximum number of splices allowable per wire is three. We do not have a mechanism here at my air carrier to track the number of splices installed on a wire. Several years ago I filed a report on this very subject and the result was the verbiage on the maximum number being removed from the SWPM. But I see now that it has returned. The June 2009 revision 42 version of the SWPM 20-10-13; page 4; not only has the same three splice limit language; but it also has a picture! How we can possibly be held accountable to this requirement when we do not have a system in place to track the number of post production splices installed?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.

Attributes
ACN	839675
Time
Date	200906
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ZZZ.Airport
State Reference	US
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Parked
Component
Aircraft Component	Electrical Wiring & Connectors
Person 1
Function	Technician
Events
Anomaly	Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical

A mechanic questions a recent boeing standard wiring practices manual (swpm) revision; limiting the maximum number of post production wiring splices to three on a wire for all B737's. His carrier does not have a system to track the number of splices installed on any given wire run.