AN SF340 PIC TAKES EXCEPTION TO HIS AIRLINE'S MAINT POLICY PROC IN CHANGING AN APPARENTLY OPERATIVE PWR QUADRANT UPON ARR AT ZZZ; US.
Synopsis
AN SF340 PIC TAKES EXCEPTION TO HIS AIRLINE'S MAINT POLICY PROC IN CHANGING AN APPARENTLY OPERATIVE PWR QUADRANT UPON ARR AT ZZZ; US.
Narrative
I HAVE A CONCERN WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF A PWR QUADRANT ON MAY/XA/01 IN ZZZ. I WAS ASSIGNED FLT ZZA TO ZZZ. DURING THE FIRST FLT OF THE DAY; I RAN THE TEST AND IT FAILED ON THE #2 ENG. WHEN THE TEST FAILED; I SHUT DOWN THE #2 ENG. I CONTACTED MAINT IN ZZA AND EXPLAINED WHAT HAD HAPPENED DURING THE TEST; UNDER THE DIRECTION OF MAINT IN ZZA. I WS TOLD TO RESTART #2 ENG AND TRY TO TEST AGAIN. I DID WHAT WAS EXPLAINED TO ME AND THE TEST WAS SUCCESSFUL. I CONTACTED MAINT IN ZZA AND TOLD THEM THE TEST WAS SUCCESSFUL AND I DID NOT HAVE A WRITE-UP. MAINT IN ZZA SAID 'OK; YOU ARE GOOD TO GO' AND I DID NOT HAVE A PROB WITH THAT. I FLEW THE ACFT TO ZZZ. WHEN I REACHED ZZZ; I CONTACTED MAINT IN ZZZ WITH 1 WRITE-UP. THE WRITE-UP WAS THE RADAR STABILIZATION WAS INOP. MAINT SAID AVIONICS WOULD BE RIGHT OVER TO TALK TO ME. WHEN I CLBED OUT OF THE ACFT; I MET MAINT AND THEY SAID THEY WERE 'HERE TO REPLACE THE PWR QUADRANT.' I ASKED THEM WHY; BECAUSE I DID NOT HAVE A WRITE-UP THAT WOULD JUSTIFY PUTTING IN A NEW PWR QUADRANT. AFTER TALKING WITH THE MECHS; THEY TOLD ME THIS ACFT HAD A HISTORY OF FAILED TESTS AND THEY THINK THIS WAS THE CAUSE OF THE PROB. I WAS IN TOTAL DISBELIEF AND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO TALK TO THE MAINT SUPVR ON DUTY IN ZZZ. HE EXPLAINED TO ME THAT ANYTIME THERE IS A PROB WITH AN ENG; IT HAS TO BE DISCUSSED WITH ENGINEERING. AFTER I LEFT ZZA; THERE WAS AN E-MAIL SENT TO ZZZ MAINT FROM ENGINEERING STATING 'WE RECOMMEND FOR ECONOMIC REASONS WE REPLACE THE PWR QUADRANT IN ACFT.' IT IS MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO REPLACE A PWR QUADRANT THAN HAVING TO REPLACE AN ENG BECAUSE OF A RECURRING FAILED TEST WHICH COULD DESTROY AN ENG. THE MAINT SUPVR EXPLAIN TO ME THAT I DID EVERYTHING THE WAY I SHOULD HAVE AND THAT THEY WERE JUST FOLLOWING A RECOMMENDATION FROM ENGINEERING. I THEN CONTACTED THE CHIEF PLT IN ZZB. THE QUESTION I ASK MYSELF IS; 'WHY WAS I EVEN GIVEN THIS ACFT TO FLY IF IT HAD A HISTORY OF FAILED TESTS?' I DO NOT KNOW THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF THE ACFT. AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED; I DID THE TEST THE SECOND TIME AFTER TALKING TO MAINT AND IT PASSED. THE TEST DID WHAT IT WAS SUPPOSED TO DO. I BELIEVE SOMEONE KNEW ABOUT THIS PROB AND SHOULD HAVE FIXED THE PROB BEFORE PUTTING IT OUT ON LINE. I BELIEVE MAINT SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS PROB. MAINT GAVE ME BAD ADVICE ABOUT THE PROB. IF I WOULD HAVE KNOWN MORE THAT THIS WAS A RECURRING PROB; I WOULD HAVE WRITTEN UP THE PROB AND WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN TO ZZZ.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.