Pilot induced discrepancies

JOhnH said:
I don't understand why an A&P wouldn't fix something even if an owner broke it doing something stupid to cause it. Is it because in the future they might do something that the A&P might get blamed for?
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An A&P's best insurance is a smart owner.
 
Checkout_my_Six said:
I was thinking more of their glider pilot skills.....:lol:
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You mean like when the A&P installed the fuel selector handle in the wrong direction so that when you selected "main" you got an aux tank that had just enough fuel to get a few hundred feet off the ground?
 
weirdjim said:
I must have had a second bowl of stupid flakes for breakfast. Explain?

Jim
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Can't remember who it was, but long story short, someone here replaced the lights in the TC. When the TC was reinstalled, it wasn't properly clocked, thus resulting in the ball not being centered (I'm paraphrasing here, i'm sure someone will be along shortly to tell me how incredibly wrong I am).
 
weirdjim said:
I must have had a second bowl of stupid flakes for breakfast. Explain?

Jim
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I think he may have been speaking of himself, haha. I vaguely recall that story.
 
I was speaking of myself. So Jim....who ate the bowl of stupid flakes first? ;)
 
I was called to see why the owners clock wouldn't work, I checked it and found it was overwound. I asked the owner what he wanted to do. He tells me to fix it. So I removed the clock, send it in 3 weeks later it comes back with a note to not wind it too tight again, I install it, send the bill for the repair, plus the note and my time to the owner, he pays.
Two days later he calls and says the clock doesn't work again, I go check, sure enough it is wound tight. and not working. I call him tell him he over wound the clock again, and ask IF I should remove it again, he says yes, but he ain't paying for it.
I tell him if he wasn't paying for his mistakes I wasn't working for him..

never heard from him again.
 
SkyDog58 said:
Being wound too tightly does cause issues.
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I was once asked how to wind a electric clock... I gave the owner credit, he didn't know it was electric. :)
 
Seen in the same year, from three different people:

- Fuel Flow Transducer installed improperly (above the carburetor and parallel with the electric pump) causing erroneous readings.
- Bent pin on GNS430 rack, causing Nav Head errors.
- Dropped the (removed) pilot's door, causing a "folded" corner, which was straightened out with a crescent wrench.
- Oleo Strut serviced with 90 psi of air (instead of the required 40) to get the required 4" extension. The 90 psi was needed because the strut was out of 5606.
- Flap motor serviced with grease when 30 weight motor oil was called for, because "all Cessna's use grease on the flap motor".
 
Simply remember that we A&Ps can't fix stupid, but we can fix what stupid did.
 
mscard88 said:
Works the other way too Tommy. You should know that of all people.

An example:

https://flightsafety.org/ap/ap_jan93.pdf
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Of course it works both ways, but the number of pilots who repair the stuff they brake is very low. on the other hand the A&Ps that fly are about the same percentage

A&Ps are a lot like pilots, Pilots can fly all their careers and only be remembered for the one landing. the A&P is remembered much the same way.
 
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That is an example of one of the worst aircraft maintenance blunders of all time. I think it makes everyone sick to read the report but it drives home the importance of following approved procedures and always documenting maintenance.

I remember another one Jetstream 31, between Dayton and Springfield, OH, (I believe), back in the late '80's, early '90's. Vertical stab. hinged panel not secured, crew only, maybe a training flight?
 
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Flight and Maintenance procedures can and do fail both pilots and maintainers
 
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