Grieving families care about errors in math - Crossfeed

After numerous surveys at many different squadrons that operate a wide variety of aircraft, I have noticed a poor trend in how hours are totaled on the monthly flight summary (MFS) and equipment operating record (EOR) pages. These errors include flight hours, landings, catapults, and arrestments that are documented on end-of-the-month closeouts or when aircraft, engines, and other sub-assemblies are transferred and received. These simple math mistakes can lead to serious problems with high-time components and could end with the loss of an aircraft or aircrew.

Most logs-and-records clerks know these errors are not a new problem, but some may not be aware of several maintenance areas that are affected when these pages are inaccurate. Numerous high-time items are tracked in the NALCOMIS OMA database, and they are reviewed, inspected, removed, and replaced based on the times recorded on these pages. For example, an aircraft phase inspection is implemented or "baselined" in NALCOMIS from the flight hours listed in the time-since-new (TSN) column. If those flight hours are wrong in the logbook, NALCOMIS will calculate the wrong interval for the next inspection.

The same principle applies to other event-limited items, such as launch-related components, arresting gear, struts, APUs, guns, and other items not based on flight hours.

I have seen engine and aircraft records with 30-hour math errors, launch bars or arresting hooks off five or 10 hits, and guns off hundreds of rounds. The NAMP states the logbook clerk is responsible for updating and documenting logbook data. I highly recommend at least two different people review these records. A good choice might be an LPO, NCO, or another person with logbook signature authority. It also might be helpful to develop and to use a local spreadsheet for adding and calculating events on the MFS and EOR pages. This program, once initiated, also will make it easy to correct to these pages, and will reduce the possibility of human error.

The technique used to solve this potentially lethal problem isn't critical; just make sure the data on the MFS and EOR pages is accurate, so we can avoid overdue components, aircraft crashes, and dead shipmates.

SSgt. Jones is an analyst at the Naval Safety Center.