Hunting down maintenance malpractice

Mech, Fall, 2003 by Joseph Funderburk

On numerous surveys, I have found some poorly maintained support equipment, which I know my fellow AS's have released. The problems I've seen are beyond a squadron's responsibility or ability to fix. The attached photos should give you an idea of the things I've encountered.

The cab of an A/S32A-30A tractor has huge holes in the roof. The AIMD SE shop should have done corrosion control on this gear before they released it to a squadron. These items should have been discovered and fixed before the maintenance and PM's were signed off. The condition of this equipment leaves no doubt that good maintenance did not happen!

The corrosion damage was bad enough, but the fix was worse. I found an AS had placed aluminum tape over the holes, and he called that the repair. The tape was coming loose and would have become a FOD hazard on the flight line. This type of maintenance is unsat!

What has happened to the quality of maintenance and the training of our CDIs? Are the production-control chiefs and supervisors managing the work from behind the desk? Are leaders not looking at the final product being released?

The work you do directly reflects on your knowledge, ability and on the AS rate. The 900 division has a requirement for a welder and, if one is not available, the shop should call airframes. Supervisors, technicians and CDIs need to read the MIMs and to follow the recommended repairs. During my squadron surveys, I look for a lack of the quality in pre-op inspections but have been surprised at the number of problems not fixed at our AIMDs.

Senior Chief Funderburk is assigned as a maintenance analyst at the Naval Safety Center.