Importance of Adhering to Standards

By AME2 (AW) Tillman

#5

U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Matt Hall /Illustration by Catalina Magee

As Aviation Structural Mechanic Safety Equipment (AME) technicians, we have a strong sense of pride in our work and feel a sense of accomplishment for being detailoriented. On this particular day, however, a mistake was made. After waking up at 1600 and showing up to work at 1630 – it felt like any other day on the aircraft carrier. Day check was present at the time, but when maintenance control called the shop for a particular discrepancy, there was only one other AME2 and the AME collateral duty quality assurance representative (CDQAR). Maintenance control informed the CDQAR a pilot during his pre-flight noticed that the emergency oxygen bottle in the seat pan was empty during the pilot’s preflight of the ejection seat. With the launch of aircraft approaching rapidly, there was a sense of urgency in the shop not to be the reason for a missed event. The CDQAR asked the other AME technician to exchange the depleted emergency oxygen bottle in the seat pan on aircraft 214, an F/A-18E Super Hornet. Exchanging a seat pan is a relatively quick and uncomplicated task, but when done incorrectly, it can be life-threatening to the pilot and hinder his or her ability to eject.

The CDQAR inspected a spare seat pan in the shop and determined it was an entirely sufficient replacement for aircraft 214. While the CDQAR put on his float coat and cranial, he requested the other AME technician’s assistance. As they were getting ready, another AME technician arrived at work and the CDQAR requested he sign out tools and the maintenance publication (A1-F18EA-120-700). Once at the aircraft, in the aircrew presence, the CDQAR started the evolution by inspecting the installed seat pan and confirmed it was empty.

The CDQAR and first technician disconnected the seat pan, pulled it out of its normal position and handed it down to the other AME technician, who handed up the other seat pan. As they installed the seat pan, one of the lap belt harness lugs was not placed in its seat bucket lock, so they corrected it immediately. After setting up the seat pan, they took a moment to make sure everything was in place. The lugs were in the locks and everything seemed fine and connected. They did a double-take to confirm when they realized the yellow shirt was hooked up to move the jet. They rushed off of the aircraft and went to the shop to sign off all required maintenance documents. After about 30 minutes, they received another phone call explaining that the seat pan was loose.

At that moment, they knew what had been missed. The proper procedures are to align the front fitting of the survival kit with the survival kit support on the seat bucket and install the lap belt harness lugs firmly in seat bucket locks, then pull firmly on lap belts to make sure seat bucket locking plungers have correctly locked the lugs to the seat bucket. They had forgotten to push the lugs down to lock them and pull on the lap belts to check. Embarrassed as they were, they immediately went to the pilot to apologize for the mistake. The pilot told them he noticed the seat pan was loose upon utilizing the brake system on the catapult. Shaken, the CDQAR realized that his moment of rushing resulted in a missed sortie, as well as the potential injury the pilot could have suffered. Improper ejection seat maintenance can lead to severe injury, or even worse - death.

That’s why we should never take maintenance lightly and should always follow the proper publications during routine maintenance actions. In this case, the publication listed the procedure step-by-step, but the technicians - both highly qualified and respected - allowed the pressure of making the launch break their standard habit patterns of by-thebook maintenance.

Adhering to by-the-book maintenance minimizes errors, reduces rework and saves lives.