Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Time Pressure; Communication Breakdown; Confusion; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Diverted; Flight Crew Landed As Precaution; General Maintenance Action
Chart Or Publication; Aircraft; Human Factors; Procedure
I received a phone call from Captain X on a Cessna C560 aircraft in the afternoon January 2014. He stated that there was a dime size chip in the #1 Engine Exhaust Cone. I advised him that we have had the coating come off in the past but it was a non-issue and I was going to contact Pratt-Whitney to verify. I spoke with the Engine Manufacturer Representative and he requested pictures. I called Captain X back and he advised he would send a picture to Maintenance Control. I told him [Captain X] the Pratt Representative didn't think it would be an issue; but wanted to see a picture first and we would call him back after the Engine Manufacturer Representative looked at the picture. Captain X sent the picture around twenty minutes later and I forwarded the picture to the Engine Rep. I went to a meeting; but advised the [Control] Desk that the Engine Rep had been forwarded the picture and they should contact the [flight] crew after he calls Maintenance Control to advise if the exhaust cone was good; or needed to be evaluated. After returning from the meeting about ninety minutes later; the Desk advised the Engine Rep [had to] defer the judgment on the exhaust to Cessna. Another [Controller] was going to call the [flight] crew and advise them but they were already airborne. Maintenance Engineering had an AFIS sent to the crew and had the aircraft diverted for the exhaust to be evaluated. I believe there was a disconnect on both sides in this instance. Maintenance Control; I; should not suggest to the flight crews that something may be 'OK' until the evaluation has been made by the proper technical group. Also the flight crew should have contacted Maintenance Control back to verify that the exhaust was a non-issue before lift-off. I believe it is important on issues like these that Maintenance Control stay in constant contact with the crews so they are aware that a suspect problem is under review; so they do not take the aircraft without the proper approvals.
A Maintenance Controller describes how a lack of adequate communications between Maintenance Control and a Cessna 560 flight crew allowed the aircraft to depart while a chip on the # 1 Engine Exhaust Cone was still being evaluated. Aircraft had to divert for additional evaluation of the exhaust cone.