The certified aircraft technician is faced with the responsibility to conform to rigid aircraft maintenance standards, which require critical decisions, by the very nature of the profession. Coping with the pressures generated by corporate decisions and federal requirements to perform safely in a stressful work environment overshadow the character and ethical composition that is a requirement for success. Aircraft Technicians are in the true sense of the word professionals by their very nature of adapting successfully to the many variables associated with daily job responsibilities.
The turn of the century has found the profession facing greater responsibilities, more sophisticated aircraft systems, and more regulations. Airlines and the Federal Aviation Agency have historically worked together to develop programs that were designed to solve procedural problems within the maintenance structure. The airlines, challenged by cost analysis data and the FAA with enforcement of regulations, usually had to co-exist to maintain the operational status-quo having resulted in, to name a few, reduced fines paid by carriers for maintenance violations, extended maintenance intervals between scheduled maintenance, reduction in maintenance training requirements, all the while increasing the burden of accountability towards the aircraft technician.
The aircraft technician must work within the parameters established by corporations and the language of the Federal Air Regulations, with the former protecting their own interests and the latter enforcing regulations, which are subject to interpretation at best. The responsibility is tremendous and when aircraft maintenance is performed under pressure, as is usually the case, the true professionalism of the aircraft technician now takes control regardless of the many variables working against that process.
The maintenance professional is now required to understand completely the Federal Air Regulations, including all applicable employer procedural manuals, and must apply that knowledge to the work environment to protect the interests of the flying public and protect one’s personal interests as well.
The Federal Aviation Agency recently implemented the “Whistleblower Program” with a system of nationwide toll-free numbers enticing maintenance professionals to report problems within the system. Experience with direct FAA reporting procedures reminds us of a time past in which the information was usually transferred (under-reporting) directly to the airline including disclosing the reporting individuals’ name. The reputation of previous FAA reporting will not be easily forgotten by the professionals having been involved in the saga of Eastern Airlines and recent aircraft accidents resulting from maintenance procedural inconsistencies.
AMFA National Safety and Standards has developed a reporting system, which will be incorporated into a national data base to address problems within the industry that are largely ignored or under-reported by the airlines. It is recommended that the information submitted be followed-up by faxed documentation to support comments on the reporting form. The confidentiality of the individual reporting will also be respected. The report may include contract maintenance issues, redundant or ignored safety and standards issues, FAR, OSHA violations and other issues in need of reporting.
Log on to the AMFA National web site and link to Safety and Standards to access and submit the form.
