MH AGE
Like everyone else involved in servicing, you and your colleagues can only work to the publications provided. Long ago, I did the same, and it never really crossed my mind to ask if the pubs were correct, up to date or if they reflected (or were traceable to) the build standard of the tail number that was presented for CA (MA) Release, and which the Release to Service was based upon. Yes, I could raise a MF765, but only for simple things – if something was omitted I wouldn’t necessarily know that. This is a fundamental requirement of airworthiness - the build standard of all aircraft in a given fleet must be traceable to that first aircraft. Not necessarily the same, but traceable. The process which is designed to ensure this is largely ignored and under funded.
I can cite hundreds of examples where the above traceability doesn’t exist. I’ve seen units get a replacement LRU and say “WTF is this”?” as its mod state bears no resemblance to what’s in the Topic 2. An example. One LRU, in one of our more recent aircraft, has over 60 mods missing from the Topic 2 compared to the DA approved build standard. Complete areas of functionality are missing. If you don’t maintain that build standard, your APs aren’t current and, unwittingly, you don’t maintain it to the correct standard. That particular LRU was also procured for Nimrod MR2. I don’t know if it’s been fitted yet (it’s only 17 years since it was delivered).
Related to this, a good question is not what the build standard is, but what it would be if all ADA Engineering Change Proposals were accepted and incorporated in the design. We already know of one important one that was not – fire suppression. I suspect these decisions are now taken almost exclusively on financial grounds, with engineering / safety a poor second.
So, I do not think anyone doubts your professionalism. Rather, it is the lack of professionalism and integrity of our masters. Apologies for repeating previous discussion from the Mull thread, but it is important to appreciate the common threads that run through these tragic incidents. Chinook, too, did not have up to date pubs, or this traceability. MoD says it doesn’t matter. They are wrong.