Maintenance Powerplant; Maintenance Airframe
Communication Breakdown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Aircraft; Company Policy; Procedure; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Human Factors
Last week we tried to rig the inboard ailerons per Maintenance Manual (MM) 27-11-00 on a B767-300 aircraft for an excessive rudder trim deferral and found two rig bars Part Nunmber P/N A27024-55; one with broken adjustment post and one with the safety not installed on the adjustment post. Red tagged both bars. This week we came in to do the Inboard aileron rig; thinking the tooling had been repaired and calibrated. When setting up for the inboard aileron rig; we noticed that the rig bar was safe tied but was not in its normal position. The adjustment post on the bar was from our previous experience: way too long. We went to engineering and had the tooling drawing pulled up and went and checked the bar with a string as a straight edge. The bar was out of rig (post too long) by almost two inches. We assumed that the bars came from a vendor calibrated. When we questioned tooling supervisors on who adjusted the bar post and what documentation they used to adjust it; they didn't know. They told us the rig bars are not a calibrated tool and repairs are done in house; if they are safe tied they are correctly adjusted. (Apparently not). Had we not had experience doing this job several times before; we would have severely misrigged the inboard ailerons. There is no way for me to verify that the bars are in the proper adjustment before I rig an aircraft flight control. All other rig bars that I saw in the rack are the same way; with no calibration seal or sticker.
B767-300 aircraft had a rudder trim problem. The Maintenance Manual (M/M) calls out for a rig bar for adjustment of the ailerons. Company has two rig bars. Last week I tried to use the rig bars but they were in an unserviceable condition; due to the fact one had a broken end and the other one had broken safety wire on the lock nut. I removed the rig bars from service and installed a tooling repair tag. This week I got the same B767-300 aircraft back to rig the ailerons again. I found that the rig bar had been repaired and safety wired; but the adjustment was wrong per the drawing. I asked the Tooling Supervisor if the bars were sent to a vender for calibration and he said 'No'; they were repaired in house. I removed the bar from service again and tagged the bar with a tooling repair tag. I later found the tooling supervisors adjusting the bar with no point of reference. The supervisors were making the adjustment with a piece of string instead of a laser or ridged straight edge. There are no calibration tags on any Company Flight Control Rig bars. There is no tamper proof safety wire or seal on the rig bar.
Two line aircraft maintenance technicians (AMTs) report about their efforts to rig the inboard (I/B) ailerons on a B767-300 aircraft due to excessive rudder trim but realize both A27024-55 rigging bars were not serviceable. Tooling supervisors told both AMTs their rig bars are not considered a calibrated tool and none of their rig bars had any calibration seals or stickers.