2003-04 · NASA ASRS report 579570
A DEHAVILLAND-8 WAS DISCOVERED BY AN FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR TO HAVE 2 COCKPIT ACCESS EQUIP PANELS REMOVED AND NOT DOCUMENTED.
THE COMPANY THAT I WORK FOR; X ACR; IS CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS OF DELETING SEVERAL ACFT FROM ITS INVENTORY. THESE ACFT; X; Y AND Z HAVE BEEN TAKEN OFF COMPANY'S CERTIFICATE AND HAVE BEEN PARKED ON OUR RAMP SINCE APR/TUE/03; AND HAVE NOT FLOWN SINCE. PART OF THIS PROCESS OF THE LEASE RETURN; WAS TO HAVE AN INDEPENDENT AUDITOR INVENTORY AND RESEARCH THE RECORDS OF 3 OF THESE ACFT. AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH; I WAS INFORMED THAT THE AUDITOR WOULD BE IN DURING MY WEEKEND SHIFT AND THAT I WAS TO LEND HIM SUPPORT AS BEST AS I COULD; WITHOUT TAKING AWAY PRODUCTIVITY FROM OUR ACFT THAT WE WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK. WITHOUT MAKING THIS TOO CONFUSING; WHICH IT STILL IS TO ME; THE ONLY 2 ACFT THAT WE ASSISTED WITH WERE ON X AND Y ON THE WEEKENDS OF THE APR/SAT/03. BOTH ACFT WERE PULLED INTO OUR HANGAR ONE AT A TIME; SEVERAL TIMES; THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THESE 4 DAYS. THE ACFT CURRENTLY IN QUESTION IS X AND THE PROB IS THAT 2 OF THE INTERIOR ACCESS PANELS WERE REMOVED; LEFT OFF; AND NOT WRITTEN UP IN THE LOGBOOK. ON OR ABOUT APR/WED/03; THE FAA WENT OUT TO THIS ACFT TO FOLLOW UP ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT FAULTY MAINT ACTION (HAVING TO DO WITH A GENERATOR); AND FOUND THE PANELS OFF. DURING THE COURSE OF THE 2 WEEKENDS; I WAS ASKED BY THE AUDITOR TO GAIN ACCESS TO BOTH ENGS AND PROPS ON EACH OF THE 2 ACFT; SO THAT HE COULD TAKE PICTURES AND VERIFY SERIAL NUMBERS. THIS I ASSIGNED TO MY MECHS. BOTH WERE OPENED UP ON DIFFERENT DAYS AND BOTH WERE DOCUMENTED IN THE LOGBOOKS. 1 OF THE 2 ACFT WRITE-UPS FOR THIS BEARS MY SIGNATURE; ON BOTH ENGS AND PROPS; AS THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCREPANCY. I OFTEN DO THIS WHILE MY MECHS DO THE LABOR AS TO NOT LET ANYTHING GET OVERLOOKED. EACH WERE THEN CLOSED UP AND SIGNED OFF BY THE 2 MECHS THAT DID THE WORK. ON ONE OF THE 4 DAYS THAT WE HAD THESE ACFT COMING IN AND OUT OF THE HANGAR; THE AUDITOR MENTIONED TO ME THAT HE WOULD ALSO NEED TO SEE INSIDE THE AVIONICS BAY TO TAKE PICTURES ON BOTH PLANES. I DO NOT REMEMBER REMOVING THESE PANELS FOR HIM OR ASSIGNING THIS TO ANY ONE OF MY MECHS. AFTER TALKING ABOUT THIS WITH MY SUPVR; I SPOKE WITH MY MECH. NONE OF THEM SAID THAT THEY REMOVED THE PANELS. ONE OF MY MECHS DID SAY HOWEVER; THAT ON ONE OF THE DAYS THAT WE PULLED ONE OF THE PLANES INTO THE HANGAR; THOSE PANELS WERE ALREADY OFF. HE COULD NOT SAY FOR SURE WHICH ACFT IT WAS. THE 3 ACFT SAT ON OUR RAMP AND IN OUR HANGARS FROM APR/TUE/03; UNTIL APR/WED/03; WHEN THE PANELS WERE FOUND OFF. WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD; ANYONE COULD HAVE REMOVED THESE PANELS. THIS IS TO INCLUDE ANYONE FROM OUR LINE MAINT/RON (ROUTINE OVERNIGHT CHK) CREWS; TO OUR AVIONICS DEPT WHOM WITHIN THIS TIME PERIOD REMOVED THE SELCAL SYS. TODAY; MY SUPVR INFORMED ME THAT I SHOULD FILL OUT AN ASAP FORM FOR BEING THE LEAD ON THE WEEKENDS WHILE THE PLANES WERE HERE.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.
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