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INDUSTRY VIEWPOINT Documenting Minor Maintenance Discrepancies Especially critical for regional air carriers N By John Goglia John Goglia has 40+ years experience in the aviation industry. He was the first NTSB member to hold an FAA aircraft mechanic's certificate. He can be reached at gogliaj@yahoo. com. 38 April 2013 ow that regional airlines are entries is not what many mechanics like to do carrying more than 50 percent — nor is it necessarily encouraged by foremen of the air carrier passenger or maintenance supervisors — but the only load, more and more scrutiny way to get ahead of a potential looming probis being placed on how those lem is to know that it is beginning to manifest airlines perform — and particularly, how they itself. So let's take an example that may seem perform maintenance. minor but can and has grounded aircraft Of course, the fact that the last major or led to FAA enforcement action when an airline accident involved a regional airaircraft wasn't grounded — a door decal that line — Colgan Air Flight 3407 operating as visually demonstrates how to open the cabin Continental Connection — adds to the scrudoor in the event of an emergency. tiny. And while that accident in February of This particular interior decal gets exposed 2009 into a residential area on to the elements when the door is the outskirts of Buffalo, NY, did opened and rubbed against by The pressure to not involve maintenance, the crewmembers and mechanics focus on regional carriers has opening and closing or workmove aircraft to extended to maintenance. ing on the door. Over time, meet a schedule A recently issued Department the information on the decal exists at every of Transportation Inspector becomes worn or even torn, General report criticized the making the information difcarrier. FAA for failing to live up to ficult or impossible to read. An one of its post-Colgan accident illegible decal would clearly be a commitments — to review problem in the event of an actual whether airline agreements contain economic emergency requiring a passenger unfamiliar disincentives to safety. Of specific concern with how the door operated to open the door to the IG was whether on-time performance if the arrow on the decal was not sufficiently requirements placed on regional carriers by clear. mainline airlines could compromise safety. This decal — as well as many other small Of course, the pressure to move aircraft items necessary to repair or replace interior to meet a schedule exists at every carrier; it items, including seat mechanisms — are just may be greater at a regional carrier with often not available at every line station. So, specific economic penalties for failing to advance warning would allow the items to be meet on-time performance goals. So how can procured and made available so they could be a mechanic help his or her company safely dealt with in a timely manner. meet these on-time performance goals? I All mechanics have an interest in keeping believe it begins with carefully documenting costs down for their companies — if for no findings and recording even minor mainteother reason than it's a good way to preserve nance discrepancies so that they can be monitheir own jobs. I believe that keeping track tored or scheduled for repair or replacement of small maintenance issues as they begin before they become no-go items. to emerge is one way to avoid costly mainteI know that writing long maintenance nance delays or cancellations. AMT Aircraft Maintenance Technology • www.AviationPros.com • www.AMTSociety.org