A Maintenance Controller reports about the lack of necessary information being made available to Mechanics to accomplish repetitive inspections for fuselage and wing skin dents and damages that are not included with either the aircraft manufacturer or company engineering orders (EO's).

Date: 2009-12 · Aircraft: Commercial Fixed Wing · Phase: ground

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

Synopsis

A Maintenance Controller reports about the lack of necessary information being made available to Mechanics to accomplish repetitive inspections for fuselage and wing skin dents and damages that are not included with either the aircraft manufacturer or company engineering orders (EO's).

Narrative

Many of our aircraft have Bombardier Engineering Orders (REO's) attached to them to comply with various Inspections at different times. On more than one occasion; (six total); the Mechanics performing these Short Fuse Watch Items (SFWI) Inspections do not have direct access to this information. They in turn call Maintenance Control and request a copy of the applicable REO to complete the Task. The Maintenance Controller does not have access to this information either. We (Maintenance Control); must go to our Shift Managers to retrieve information for the Mechanics on the floor. Many times these REO's are not followed because Mechanics do not have them readily available and we have overflow Inspection items. I have brought this up to our department Manager with no change in the way these documents are accessed. Maintenance not being allowed to see the REO; they aren't able to determine exactly when and what they are to be doing. Many of these items are dents and damage to aircraft skins; and they just continue to Inspect without knowing what the initial damage was and if it has propagated; or changed. They are not aware of the Repair Time Limits. On most of these occasions I was working with one of our new Shift Managers; he had limited knowledge on how else to get them on a Sunday. So far there has been no response. But it would help if they would at least allow the Line Maintenance Leads access so they can provide it to their Technicians. The REO information is an extension of the Aircraft Maintenance Manual (AMM) and needed to perform the Maintenance procedure.

NASA callback

Reporter stated that many Engineering Orders (EO's) are driven by the aircraft Manufacturer's REO's and have deadlines to perform the repetitive inspections; or be repaired within a set number of hours or flight cycles. Many of the deferred items; including those not deferred; under the short fuse watch item (SFWI) list are marks on the fuselage or wing skin. Some dents or damages are very close to; or at; maximum limits and need to be monitored for any progression while the aircraft is in service. Reporter stated the REO's and EO's have the original information as to the specific location; size and depth of the aircraft skin dent; scuff; or skin damages. But since Mechanics and even Lead Mechanic's don't have access to that information; they have no way of knowing whether the damages have progressed from the original condition. The reference sources are needed for Mechanics to comply with the REO requirements.Reporter stated she could not explain why the information would not automatically be attached or included in the REO's; or EO's; when the inspection callout is issued; or why access to the required information to accomplished the maintenance work is so restricted.

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