I’m a helicopter mechanic. I started a turbine helicopter engine to prove an entire shift of mechanics, quality assurance (“subject matter experts”) and managers they’re dumb. Then wrote a mean pass down insulting all of them, highlighting how many man hours, our time they’ve wasted, and how they made us all look stupid in front of the customer (US Marines.)
At the time I was the night shift QA. I got to work and they told me we’d be replacing an engine that was bad, it wouldn’t start (they left the ignition circuit breaker in, so no spark) but worse it was now leaking out of the thermocouples.
I says, you flooded the engine; there’s not supposed to be liquid fuel in that section. If you followed the procedures in our manuals you’d know how to blow the engine out to dry it then it would start.
They’d already called the higher level engine maintenance squadron to confirm the engine was bad. I was talking to the site lead, Dave, I bet him a dollar I could start that engine. At the time I was the only person on the site with an engine turn certification. He says alright, try it.
The Marines were already there. They determined nothing was wrong with the engine. I said, since you’re here want to watch me light it off. They said yeah. I went through the flooded engine start and it started and ran up perfect.
Next day I come in and Dave tells me I’ve been fired. There was one sentence in our rules that said only pilots could start engines. BUT Dave went to bat for me, explained the situation including that they certified me to run engines. He got it turned into two week suspension and a demotion, but I had so much PTO saved up he was going to pay me during it.
I came back and was now just a mechanic. Which was alright since I never liked the rest of the QA department. I got less responsibility, got to listen to audio books and ding wrenches together. Every now and then the other QA inspectors and managers would come to me with questions and I’d get to say, “I’m sorry, I’m not paid enough to know that.”
I’m a helicopter mechanic. I started a turbine helicopter engine to prove an entire shift of mechanics, quality assurance (“subject matter experts”) and managers they’re dumb. Then wrote a mean pass down insulting all of them, highlighting how many man hours, our time they’ve wasted, and how they made us all look stupid in front of the customer (US Marines.)
At the time I was the night shift QA. I got to work and they told me we’d be replacing an engine that was bad, it wouldn’t start (they left the ignition circuit breaker in, so no spark) but worse it was now leaking out of the thermocouples.
I says, you flooded the engine; there’s not supposed to be liquid fuel in that section. If you followed the procedures in our manuals you’d know how to blow the engine out to dry it then it would start.
They’d already called the higher level engine maintenance squadron to confirm the engine was bad. I was talking to the site lead, Dave, I bet him a dollar I could start that engine. At the time I was the only person on the site with an engine turn certification. He says alright, try it.
The Marines were already there. They determined nothing was wrong with the engine. I said, since you’re here want to watch me light it off. They said yeah. I went through the flooded engine start and it started and ran up perfect.
Next day I come in and Dave tells me I’ve been fired. There was one sentence in our rules that said only pilots could start engines. BUT Dave went to bat for me, explained the situation including that they certified me to run engines. He got it turned into two week suspension and a demotion, but I had so much PTO saved up he was going to pay me during it.
I came back and was now just a mechanic. Which was alright since I never liked the rest of the QA department. I got less responsibility, got to listen to audio books and ding wrenches together. Every now and then the other QA inspectors and managers would come to me with questions and I’d get to say, “I’m sorry, I’m not paid enough to know that.”