Do I file a NASA report?

[ozone]

I had an incident the other day where a fuel line got loose, we lost power until I turned the boost pump on, and I did a precautionary landing after declaring an emergency. Mechanic found a loose nut holding the line into the mechanical fuel pump. Is that the kind of thing to file a NASA report about?

SR-20 gen. 2, for those who are curious

 

[milleR]

I had an incident the other day where a fuel line got loose, we lost power until I turned the boost pump on, and I did a precautionary landing after declaring an emergency. Mechanic found a loose nut holding the line into the mechanical fuel pump. Is that the kind of thing to file a NASA report about?

SR-20 gen. 2, for those who are curious

You can't really go wrong filing one, but unless you unintentially violated an FAR or ATC instruction it probably isn't necessary.

 

[gotWXdagain]

Sounds like you should file your mechanic's future solicitations in a round bin.

 

[ppragman]

Always file a NASA report.

 

[dustoff17]

Always file a NASA report.

THIS!!
The NASA report is something that we use to help protect us at times. However, it really does serve as a functional data analysis for everything from ATC procedures to mechanical issues. It never hurts to file one.

 

[Autothrust Blue]

You can't really go wrong filing one, but unless you unintentially violated an FAR or ATC instruction it probably isn't necessary.

The reporting incentive isn't, or shouldn't be, the primary reason to file an ASRS; that said, it's certainly a good thing. The primary purpose is to enhance aviation safety through data collection and analysis. That which cannot be collected or measured cannot be analyzed and addressed.

Always file a NASA report.

Yeah.

Oh, and air carrier pilots with an ASAP program...have your ASAP system send it to ASRS too.

 

[milleR]

The reporting incentive isn't, or shouldn't be, the primary reason to file an ASRS; that said, it's certainly a good thing. The primary purpose is to enhance aviation safety through data collection and analysis. That which cannot be collected or measured cannot be analyzed and addressed.

While fundamentally I agree with you, I'm not sure you've got the true nature of system with regards to the OP's question straight.

https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report/caveat.html?formType=general

NASA has established an Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS) to identify issues in the aviation system which need to be addressed.

A mechanical emergency does not necessarily constitute an issue in the aviation system which needs to be addressed, in this particular case barring some kind of obstruction created by ATC or anther element of the system.

 

[inigo88]

While fundamentally I agree with you, I'm not sure you've got the true nature of system with regards to the OP's question straight.

https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/report/caveat.html?formType=general



A mechanical emergency does not necessarily constitute an issue in the aviation system which needs to be addressed, in this particular case barring some kind of obstruction created by ATC or anther element of the system.

It's much broader than that, although I had to look it up also to confirm.

See Immunity Policy, AC 00-46E:
https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/overview/immunity.html

This advisory circular (AC) describes the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Safety Reporting Program (ASRP) which utilizes the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) as a third party to receive and process Aviation Safety Reports. This cooperative safety reporting program invites pilots, controllers, Flight Attendants (F/A), maintenance personnel, dispatchers, and other users of the National Airspace System (NAS), or any other person, to report to NASA actual or potential discrepancies and deficiencies involving the safety of aviation operations. The operations covered by the program include departure, en route, approach, and landing operations and procedures; air traffic control (ATC) procedures and equipment; crew and ATC communications; aircraft cabin operations; aircraft movement on the airport; near midair collisions (NMAC); aircraft maintenance and recordkeeping; and airport conditions or services. The effectiveness of this program in improving safety depends on the free, unrestricted flow of information from the users of the NAS. Based on information obtained from this program, the FAA will take corrective action as necessary to remedy defects or deficiencies in the NAS. The reports may also provide data for improving the current system and planning for a future system.

 

[milleR]

It's much broader than that, although I had to look it up also to confirm.

See Immunity Policy, AC 00-46E:
https://asrs.arc.nasa.gov/overview/immunity.html

That's really good to know, thank you.

I would posit that in the OP's case, unless there was a maintenance entry missing or wrong, an ASRS report still wouldn't be necessary.

A mechanical malfunction doesn't necessarily preclude an ASRS. Landing and realizing that "whoops, yeah that annual was due 2 days ago" or "oh my, that fuel line mx wasn't documented and logged (or if required, signed off on)" does.

 

[inigo88]

A mechanical malfunction doesn't necessarily preclude an ASRS. Landing and realizing that "whoops, yeah that annual was due 2 days ago" or "oh my, that fuel line mx wasn't documented and logged (or if required, signed off on)" does.

I fundamentally agree on its purpose to report compromises of safety within the NAS, and that routine maintenance issues aren't really the intent.

I doubt it's applicable in this case... But I do wonder if his fuel line let loose departing an airport after being serviced by a certain repair station on field, and that airport had a long laundry list of similar maintenance issues, if someone would eventually take notice? :stir:

^ (Probably not, I think those types of patterns would eventually be caught by the mandatory accident and incident reporting requirements in NTSB 830.)

 

[Roger Roger]

This would be more applicable to an SDR, and even that is not really supposed to be for maintenance errors so unless it's something in the design of the fuel line that causes it to come loose doesn't really apply.

 

[knot4u]

This would be more applicable to an SDR, and even that is not really supposed to be for maintenance errors so unless it's something in the design of the fuel line that causes it to come loose doesn't really apply.

Did you know that if you register to access the site to file an SDR your PMI gets an automatic email even if you don't file one? Kinder, Friendlier, blah blah blah.

 

[Roger Roger]

Did you know that if you register to access the site to file an SDR your PMI gets an automatic email even if you don't file one? Kinder, Friendlier, blah blah blah.

That may be, but the FAA folks in charge of the SDR system say it's broken right now. That said I have gotten responses on several that I have filed so someone looks into them especially if you file a lot for the same problem. I miss the aviation maintenance alerts newsletter with pictures and everything, that was a good educational product.