Robinson R22
Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Technician 7
Situational Awareness; Fatigue; Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Aircraft; Human Factors; Staffing
Started day at XA:00 am. Already suffering from chronic fatigue (interrupted sleep from baby waking up in the middle of the night and returning late flight from ZZZ1 two days earlier; I started to assist in a 100-Hour Inspection for a Robinson R22 Beta II helicopter. There were multiple discrepancies found by Lead Mechanic; including flight control rod end bearings needing replacement and re-shimming of Swashplate fork assemblies. The environment when working on Swashplate flight controls was well lit due to opened hangar doors. However; when working on Tail Rotor Control rod end; the hangar was partially closed and eventually closed; which decrease the amount of light. The lighting inside the hangar was poor; causing me to strain my eyes and use a flashlight. While working on the Tail Rotor Flight Controls; I was also distracted while I helped the Lead Mechanic working on the same helicopter as well as another Mechanic working in the same hangar on another helicopter. With the attention taken away and fatigued; there was a lack of attention to detail and oversight. The Swashplate flight controls were all checked but not the Tail Rotor Pedal Control rod end push-pull tube. This was discovered the following day during a pre-flight. The Chief Pilot and Director of Maintenance (DOM) found the Tail Rotor rod end jam nut not tightened and torqued and heater blower hose and wire not attached. To correct this situation; I should have been more forceful to have another mechanic or even a pilot check my work to verify all the work was done properly and completely. Furthermore; I should have let other mechanics know that I was chronically fatigue and that an increased level of oversight; especially with flight controls; should have taken place. Chronic fatigue with acute fatigue accumulating from the 14-hour work day; with poor lighting conditions contributed to the improper tightening and torque procedures for the Tail Rotor Pedal Control rod end jam nut.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) describes how chronic and acute fatigue; poor hangar lighting and 12 to 14-hour work shifts contributed to improper tightening and torque procedures for the Tail Rotor Pedal Push-Pull Tube Control rod end jam nut on a Robinson R22 Beta helicopter.