EC135
Time Pressure; Situational Awareness; Confusion; Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Procedure; Human Factors; Company Policy; Aircraft
I completed inspection Job Card (compressor wash) on both engines of an EC-135T2+ with Arrius 2B2 Engines. The Engine Compressor Wash [was] performed in accordance with the correct procedures. While I was collecting the equipment and materials to be used I could not find the chemical I was trained to use. I then researched for the proper chemicals in the appropriate manuals. I then saw the name ARDROX on the List of Approved Chemicals and remembered that there was some in the chemical lockers on the hangar floor. The chemical in the locker was ARDROX-185L. I then mixed the chemical in the compressor wash sprayer at one liter chemical to four liters water. Duty Pilot X then ran the engines to allow myself to complete the compressor wash. The chemical was allowed to soak in the engines for approximately ten minutes. Pilot Y; the next On-Duty Pilot; ran the engines to allow me to perform the rinse in accordance with procedures. After the engines were rinsed; the aircraft was ran by Pilot Y; on the ground at idle for five minutes to dry. While speaking to my trainer; I discussed the problem that I could not find the chemical that he instructed me to use and that I used ARDROX. He then told me that the chemical was located outside of the hangar and ARDROX was not used during the compressor wash. I then researched the chemical again and found that ARDROX 185L was not on the approved chemical listing; but other ARDROX products were. The incident could have been avoided if the entire chemical were located in one centralized location. Another solution would have been for me to slow down and read the Chemical Listing and the Chemical Label more closely.
An Aircraft Maintenance Technician (AMT) was informed that the ARDROX-185L chemical solution he used to accomplished a compressor wash on two Arrius 2B2 turbine engines installed on an EC-135T2 helicopter; was not on their approved Chemical List.