2008-08 · NASA ASRS report 799206
B757-200 FO BELIEVES A 'FLT CREW PROCEDURE' FOR A FLT CONTROL MEL TEST IS UNSAFE IN THAT IT DOES NOT PROVIDE A MEANS TO ENSURE NO EQUIPMENT OR PERSONNEL ARE IN THE VICINITY OF THE FLT CONTROLS TO BE TESTED.
THE MEL FLT CREW PROC FOR PWR CTL UNIT INOP (MEL CARD X) IS UNSAFE AS WRITTEN AND SHOULD BE ACCOMPLISHED BY MAINT RATHER THAN 'COORDINATED WITH PLTS.' THE PROC FOR MAINT SPECIFIES TESTING ALL 3 HYD SYS WHILE MOVING FLT CTL SURFACES VIA THE CTL COLUMN. IN THE MAINT PROC; THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE IS INCLUDED JUST AFTER STEP A (EICAS STATUS MESSAGES: L(R) ELEV PCU; RUDDER PCU): WARNING ENSURE PERSONNEL AND EQUIP ARE CLR OF ALL CTL SURFACES TO PREVENT INJURY OR DAMAGE. THIS MEANS THE AREA MUST BE CLR (AND BE KEPT CLR) OF SVCING AND BAGGAGE PERSONNEL THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROC. SO A MAINT PERSON IN THE COCKPIT WOULD ALSO REQUIRE A VERBAL 'ALL CLR' FROM ANOTHER MECH OUTSIDE THE ACFT PRIOR TO ACCOMPLISHING THE PROC (AND THROUGHOUT THE PROC). THE WARNING ABOUT PERSONNEL AND CLRING THE AREA IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE OPS PLACARD FOR FLT CREW! THIS IS PATENTLY UNSAFE. AN ADDITIONAL MECH OR QUALIFIED INDIVIDUAL MUST BE AVAILABLE DURING THE ENTIRE PROC TO CONFIRM THAT THE FLT CTL SURFACES BEING MOVED WILL NOT CAUSE ANY DAMAGE TO PERSONS OR EQUIP (INCLUDING THE ACFT). EVEN IF THIS WARNING WERE INSERTED INTO THE FLT CREW OPS PLACARD FOR MEL BOTH CREW MEMBERS MUST BE AT IN THE COCKPIT IN ORDER TO EXECUTE A CHALLENGE-AND-RESPONSE EXECUTION OF ALL CHKLIST STEPS (AND THERE ARE MANY). THEREFORE; THIS PROC; AS A MINIMUM; SHOULD BE CHANGED TO ADD THE MAINT WARNING MESSAGE TO THE FLT CREW OPS PLACARD AND SHOULD ALSO REQUIRE 'QUALIFIED GND PERSONNEL' BE PRESENT AND ON HEADSET DURING THE ENTIRE PROC TO CONFIRM THAT ALL MOVING CTL SURFACES ARE KEPT CLR UNTIL COMPLETE. THE BEST 'FIX' FOR THIS ISSUE IS TO HAVE QUALIFIED MAINT PERSONNEL ACCOMPLISH THE PROC. THE FLT CREW PROC FOR MEL IS FLAWED AND UNSAFE.
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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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