AN ACR MECH RPTS THAT ONE OF HIS ACFT FLEW FOR 2 WKS WITH KNOWN SHEARED RIVETS IN THE NOSEWHEEL WELL.

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I AM AN A&P MECH FOR AIRLINES. ON DEC/FRI/1993 ACFT NX CAME IN FOR A NOSE GEAR INSPECTION FOR RIVETS THAT HAVE BEEN FAILING IN THE GEAR WELL AREA. AN INSPECTOR AND 2 MECHS LOOKED IN AREA WE NORMALLY LOOK AT AND NOTHING WAS NOTED AT THIS TIME. BUT THEN OUR ENGINEER CAME IN THE AREA OF ACFT WITH A DRAWING WITH 3 RIVETS CIRCLED AND SAYING THAT HE KNEW THAT THERE WERE FAILED RIVETS ON ACFT WITHOUT LOOKING AT ACFT. RIVETS THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT WERE IN AREA WE DO NOT LOOK AT FOR FAILURES. THEN HE SAID MANUFACTURERS REPRESENTATIVES TOLD THEM ABOUT THIS. THEY LOOKED AT ACFT ON NOV/WED/1993 SO ACFT FLEW ALL THIS TIME LIKE THAT; BEFORE WE FIXED ACFT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A LEAD MECH FOR A SUPPLEMENTAL CARRIER. HE WAS IN CHARGE OF PREPARING THE SUBJECT ACFT FOR RETURN TO SVC WHEN AN ENGINEER ANNOUNCED THAT HE KNEW THAT THERE WERE SHEARED RIVETS THAT HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED. APPARENTLY A MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE HAD FOUND THE PROB AND TOLD THE ENGINEER; BUT THE ENGINEER HAD NOT PASSED THIS FINDING ON TO THE MECHS. APPARENTLY THE ENGINEER AND THE MANUFACTURER'S REPRESENTATIVE HAD KEPT THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE SHEARED RIVETS TO THEMSELVES FOR A PERIOD OF ABOUT 2 WKS. THE SHEARED RIVETS ARE IN THE NOSEWHEEL WELL AND ARE AN ONGOING PROB WITH ALL ACFT OF THIS TYPE.