 MASTER CORPORAL DOUGLAS FITZ-GERALD
On 7 May 2003 Master Corporal Fitz-Gerald, an Aviation Technician employed in the Aircraft Maintenance Control and Records Officer section at 427 Squadron was verifying the maintenance records for a recently installed fire-extinguishing bottle on a Griffon Helicopter. While doing so, Master Corporal Fitz-Gerald identified a discrepancy regarding the expiration dates for the right hand fire bottle's explosive cartridges.
While confirming the expiration date on the installed cartridges, Master Corporal Fitz-Gerald discovered that the other bottle's cartridges on the left hand side were actually expired, contrary to maintenance records. Confirmation was made by verifying the installed component's serial numbers. Upon discovery of this discrepancy, Master Corporal Fitz-Gerald informed maintenance personnel of the necessity to replace the expired left hand cartridges.
The Flight Safety investigation revealed that the left hand bottle and expired cartridges were reportedly replaced eleven months earlier on 31 May 2002. This paperwork was entered in error, when in fact it was the right hand fire bottle, which had come due and for which the work had been completed. As a result, the left hand cartridges had been in service approximately one and one-half months beyond their expiry date. Additionally, the right hand fire bottle and cartridges were replaced approximately four years earlier than necessary.
Master Corporal Fitzgerald is awarded the For Professionalism Award. He identified, through diligence and attention to detail, a critical error with aircraft servicing records. This error could have gone completely undetected and resulted in danger to crews and aircraft.
Master Corporal Fitz-Gerald is still serving with 427 Tactical Helicopter Squadron, 1 Wing, Kingston.
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