Serious question, has anyone else had a shop try to make you sign off on a job you didn't fully test?

I was working at a small regional shop in Boise about two years ago. We had a King Air come in for a full Garmin G5000 upgrade, and the lead wanted me to sign the 8130 before we did the final ground check. He said the plane was 'booked solid' and we needed to push it out. I mean, I get the pressure, but I flat out said no. We ended up finding a bad data bus connection that would have caused a blank screen on climb out. How do you guys handle that kind of push from management when you know it's not right?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_ruby2d ago

My buddy at a shop in Florida had a boss who wanted him to sign for an engine run-up he didn't do. The boss said the customer was waiting and the logbook entry was just a formality. He signed it, feeling sick about it. They fired him a week later when the owner came back with a rough engine and the paperwork had his name on it. He still says it was the worst choice he ever made.

leo_kelly2d ago

That's a brutal lesson to learn.

adamellis2d ago

Man, I see where you're coming from, but that's a tough spot to be in. You ever think about the guy who has to fly that plane later, you know? I mean, what's the point of having a license if you just sign off on stuff you didn't check? That pressure is real, but so is the reason we have these rules. It only takes one bad push to wreck a whole career, or worse.