A B737 WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE #3 VHF ANTENNA LOOSE WITH SKIN DAMAGED AND CRACKED. SPECIAL INSPECTION FOR SKIN DOUBLERS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED CORRECTLY.

Date: 2007-01 · Aircraft: B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy

Synopsis

A B737 WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE #3 VHF ANTENNA LOOSE WITH SKIN DAMAGED AND CRACKED. SPECIAL INSPECTION FOR SKIN DOUBLERS WAS NOT ACCOMPLISHED CORRECTLY.

Narrative

THIS IS CONCERNING THE EVENTS OF ACFT ON THE DATE OF JAN/TUE/07; WITH THE VHF #3 ANTENNA FOUND BEING LOOSE WITH SKIN DAMAGE; CRACKING IN THIS LOCATION. I BECAME AWARE OF THIS PROB ON JAN/WED/07. THE DATE OF THIS INSPECTION OCCURRED ON JUN/WED/04 TO CHK; INSPECT THE VHF NAV MOUNTING LOCATION FOR STRUCTURAL SUPPORT; TO VERIFY WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS IN PLACE. THIS EVENT HAPPENED 2.5 YRS AGO; AND I WILL TRY MY BEST TO BRING BACK TO MEMORY EVERYTHING THAT I RECALL IN THIS EVENT. ON JUN/WED/04; I WAS GIVEN THE INSPECTION JOB CARD. I WENT TO THE ACFT; DID THE OPEN UP; INSPECTED THE INTERNAL AREA OF THE ANTENNA. AND AT THAT POINT MADE A DETERMINATION OF WHAT I SAW. LOOKING AT THE INSPECTION JOB CARD TODAY IN MY OPINION IS STRAIGHT FORWARD IN THAT IT ASKS TO LOOK FOR 2 POSSIBLE STRUCTURE TYPES; TO DETERMINE WHICH ONE IS INSTALLED IF ANYTHING AT ALL. ONCE AGAIN VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD IN MY OPINION. ON THE ACTUAL SIGNOFF OF INSPECTION JOB CARD I CHKED OFF STRUCTURE WAS NOT INSTALLED. ON THE FOLLOWING PAGE ITEM 3A; I CHKED OFF NO FOR DOUBLERS INSTALLED. ON THE VERY LAST PAGE (COMMENT PAGE) AGAIN I EXPRESS MY VIEWS WHAT I'M LOOKING AT AND WRITE NO DOUBLERS ON OUTSIDE OR INSIDE. AS I STATED EARLIER THIS INSPECTION JOB CARD IS STRAIGHT FORWARD AND UNDERSTANDING. I HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF DAYS TO THINK ABOUT THIS; TO RECALL WHAT HAS HAPPENED AND HAVE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT ONE OF 2 THINGS HAS HAPPENED. #1: I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE INSPECTION JOB CARD WAS REQUESTING OR #2: I ENTERED THE INFO ON PAGE 5 IN ERROR. I REALIZE THAT I MADE A MISTAKE BUT DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ITEM 3A WAS CHKED AS A NO AND FIGURE 3 WAS CLRLY STATING THAT NO DOUBLERS WAS INSTALLED AND ON THE COMMENTS PAGE AGAIN I STATE NO DOUBLERS INSTALLED INSIDE OR OUTSIDE. WHY THIS DID NOT RAISE A RED FLAG OR CONCERN WITH WHOEVER REVIEWED THIS PAPERWORK IN 2004. IN ENDING THIS; I FIND IT VERY DIFFICULT TO ACCEPT TODAY THAT I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THE INSPECTION JOB CARD BACK IN JUN/XA/04. THAT THIS INSPECTION JOB CARD SIGNOFF WAS AN ERROR ON MY PART.

More incidents for this aircraft family →

Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.