Commercial Fixed Wing
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Technician 16
Training / Qualification; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Human Factors; Company Policy; Logbook Entry; Procedure; Manuals
This is to bring awareness to a problem that affects all airplanes maintained at an Air Carrier Line Maintenance [Station]. This Station has had a large number of mechanics that do not have line experience. The training and direct supervision that is required for a safe operation is very poor. Per Air Carrier X General Maintenance Manual (GMM) XX-20-05 and ETOPS Manual YY-01-03; an Aircraft Airworthiness Release may be issued by a 14 CFR 65 Certified person possessing APPROPRIATE AUTHORIZATION (AW - Airworthiness qualified) as described in the Manual. In part this requires fleet specific formal training for each airplane type. The new mechanics are led to believe by verbal influence that they can sign-off their work- Airworthiness Release- based on just the possession of an Airframe and Powerplant (A/P) license. This confusion is enhanced by the use of electronic signatures. The screen in which work is being signed-off (by file number and password) does not reflect that an 'Airworthiness Release' is taking place by the input of the file number and password. These problems could be remedied by:1) Have the computer block access to the Airworthiness Release for those who are not qualified in the same way it blocks a Maintenance Release (MD) from being generated by someone who is not qualified. 2) An electronic sign-off block that reads - REQUIRED AIRWORTHINESS RELEASE SIGNATURE. 3) [A] clear identity of the person who is to give direct supervision for the work performed by those not authorized to sign for the work and what entails [describes] direct supervision. 4) On the job training (OJT) by someone who has experience for the aircraft type. 5) Formal training to learn an aircraft type along with a defined period of time for practical experience before AW authority is given. 6) Teach what is taking place with each electronic signature.
A line Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) reports his station has a large number of mechanics that do not have line experience and training with direct supervision is very poor. They are led to believe that they can sign-off their work based on just the possession of an Airframe/Powerplant (A/P) license. Issues with electronic signatures were also raised.