That patch job on a Cessna 172 last week still bothers me

I was helping out at a small shop near Wichita last Tuesday, and we had a Cessna 172 come in with a torn fabric patch on the wing. The owner wanted a quick fix, just something to get it through annual inspection. My supervisor told me to use some leftover dope and a scrap piece of fabric from the back shelf, but I knew that wasn't going to hold up for long. I spent a good hour arguing that we should order the proper material and do it right, but he said it was fine and to just get it done. So I did what I was told, but I felt awful about it. Three days later the owner called and said the patch was already peeling at the edges. Has anyone else been stuck in a situation where you have to do a half-baked repair because the boss says so?

2 comments

2 Comments

nora5352d ago

Read that same story on a mechanic forum last night... crazy how often this happens.

lewis.charlie2d ago

Your supervisor ever come back and own up to it when the patch failed, or did he just blame you for not doing a better job? Sounds like you knew better, but he had you over a barrel. There's a difference between doing what you're told and being asked to do something that you know won't pass muster down the road. Did the owner end up taking it somewhere else to get it fixed right, or did they just patch it again the same way? Curious how that kind of dynamic plays out when the customer calls back angry.