From an Aircraft Maintenance engineer’s perspective, it’s like walking to an aircraft that just arrived, blind! Not a clue about even the existence of the snag let alone the system affected or the location. Pilot defect reports are a help but they can sometimes be cryptic, and sometimes non-specific to the mechanic. This in turn requires further discussion between the pilot and mechanic to put a finger on the exact nature and cause of the problem. All this while…you’re eating away into that precious commodity – TIME!
Given the shortage of time then, and, the pressure to get the flight going (waiting passengers can get very irksome, even dangerous!) the AME usually ‘defers’ the defective component/ item. That is, within the framework of safety, defer the maintenance task to be conducted at the next base, and release the flight for now.
In plain terms, we gather information about the defect at Base # 1, and have it rectified at Base # 2; that is, ofcourse if the maintenance on the defective component can be deferred. If the component is an absolute necessary for safe flight,…well, irksome passengers…aka screaming, a little crying, lots of demanding…!
A maintenance world without PDM, is a reactive one at best. One that potentially compromises safety, increases costs, and leaves a lingering thought in the mind of the AME, “I hope…..!”
Next up, an example of PDM.
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