Knowledge is a fact of life in the world of an aviation maintenance technician. We are required by federal law to be well-versed in the essentials of our profession and, in fact, are tested to prove our qualifications. We are, in reality, the keepers of “Airworthy” and those granted this return to service privilege should take it very seriously. What we do or don’t do affects lives. Much of what aviation maintenance technicians (AMT) accomplish is a direct result of “tribal knowledge".
I still remember vividly asking my supervisor why he always threw a cup of water over the aircraft windshield prior to accomplishing any maintenance. It looked to me to be some type of ritual. He then explained to me that the stretched acrylic material used in the window did not have significant abilities to discharge electro-static build up and as the water ran off it would dissipate any accumulated charge. This made perfect sense but to this day there is no mention of this technique in the Maintenance Manual.
The Federal Aviation Administration has been preaching the “Dirty Dozen” for many years, yet many issues encountered with maintenance errors (80 percent) could easily have been mitigated by more attention to human factors. Included in this list: lack of communications, complacency, lack of knowledge, distraction, lack of team work, fatigue, lack of resources, pressure, lack of assertiveness, stress, lack of awareness and the “Norms”.
The Norms, in some cases, are mistaken for tribal knowledge. Norms imply that “this is the way we have always done it." Unfortunately, this is periodically true. Most recognize that if an aircraft manufacturer creates a procedure for accomplishing an inspection, it should be followed verbatim, without shortcut or deviation. This does not imply that aircraft documentation is infallible. It does mean aircraft inspections are considered mandatory and done in accordance with prescribed and approved procedures. Maintenance is a necessary part of aircraft operations and is accomplished by referencing acceptable documentation. When signing off on any maintenance; terms such as “complied with” infers specifically following a documented procedure when performing a task, while using the word “referenced” implies the use of acceptable methods and not necessarily specific procedures were utilized to accomplish the task. In all cases, the aircraft must conform to the Type Certificate and be in a condition safe for flight. Wisdom derived from tribal knowledge should be considered valuable information or better yet guidance: not always acceptable or approved but often worthwhile. Aging aircraft promote numerous challenges where model production may have ended and manufacturer support is waning. In situations such as this, a wise, experienced technician can be a valuable resource. In addition, new model aircraft provide numerous challenges, which due to lack of time in service, have not yet been discovered or documented, often engaging another technician’s thoughts may provide a fresh perspective.
The aviation maintenance profession has been considered more of a trade where technicians are trained and not educated. The words training and educated are not synonymous. However, "training” implies receiving instruction to perform a task followed by repetition until proficient. While “education” is a means of providing knowledge for the purpose of promoting thought. It is true we do need to be trained on many complex tasks and procedures, but we also need the education part to think things through and formulate ideas. These are essential elements in the career-long process of attaining wisdom. If you do not learn something almost every day on the job, you are not doing it right.
“Tribal knowledge” is an ancient form of human factors where elder members of a group would pass onto the youth the ways and means of sustaining life and maintaining their culture. The principal has worked well for many centuries with each generation contributing their own insight to the knowledge pool. In any organization, there is a vast amount of knowledge regarding products, processes, and methods that is often held by a select few. The big problem with this concept is that the tribe is a very limited group, and when one member moves on or retires, that knowledge is lost. In some instances, tribal knowledge can become a barrier to sustainable long term growth. This means viable pieces of this information should be documented and preserved. Each month, our profession diminishes. Meaning knowledge is lost due to death, retirement, and even changing career fields. Ironically, even though these are the most experienced and knowledgeable employees, many companies do not value them the way they do new hires. Many younger managers with little hands-on experience, but in possession of an academic degree, become intimidated by those possessing wisdom and encourage the tribal elders to leave. There are many in our business that possess knowledge but lack wisdom.
Knowledge by definition includes facts and information, as well as skills acquired through education and experience and can be both a theoretical, as well as a practical understanding of a subject. As many are aware, reading a maintenance procedure and actually understanding it are often part of daily dilemmas. Wisdom is often confused with knowledge, but is the ability to use knowledge coupled with experience, understanding, common sense, and insight. In fact it is said: “Good judgement is the result of experience and a lot of that is based on bad judgement”. Wisdom is also considered the ability to discern or judge what is true or right. Decision making is an area that will separate those with knowledge from those possessing wisdom. In recent years, I have run across several young AMTs using the title “senior technician“ in their social media bios. In one case, a young man had attended an initial aircraft maintenance course but had little real life experience. He was also of the opinion that he was the lone keeper of the new aircraft knowledge. When the aircraft developed a fly by wire discrepancy, haphazard troubleshooting was conducted without consulting others in the department, resulting in a smoked, back up battery and a missed flight. All of this was a result of failing to follow procedures and failure to communicate. The outcome could have been much worse. Unfortunately, in some not realizing the true importance of what we do provides situations where ego trumps good judgement!
Aviation maintenance tools and techniques have evolved significantly since the days of Charles Taylor. Some aircraft technical issues can be solved by an internet search using appropriate keywords. Aircraft manufacturers have harnessed the powers of connectivity to facilitate communications between operators of specific aircraft types where experiences can be shared in an open forum. This sharing of information is in reality, a modern form of tribal knowledge.
Digital diagnostics does not always carry through to provide the ultimate solution. From time to time, even with modern electronic systems, basic troubleshooting needs to be carried out. In most cases, diagnosing a troublesome discrepancy involves coming up with a diagnostic strategy. On board central maintenance computers can be very good at supplying reference data to help identify problems, but in most cases, they are not capable of assessing the root cause of the problem. In my travels, I have noticed the advancements technicians make in adapting to new technology but have also noted significant deterioration in the ability to troubleshoot or think things through without electronic assistance. The analog part of a circuit is still in use on the most advanced aircraft today and now with digital busses routed everywhere in most new machines, the ability to identify an impedance issue in a bus, coax, or shielded wire becomes essential. Preserving diagnostic methods and techniques is an important part in maintaining both Next Gen along with aging aircraft and the only way to achieve is through a willingness of those possessing the knowledge to share along with a willingness of the not so senior technicians to absorb some of the knowledge acquired by those soon destined to retire. During my early years in the profession, I always carried a notebook and would capture instances where a transfer of knowledge took place. Of course today, a personal electronic device is a good substitute for a paper notebook. I also recognized the value of experience and soon realized jobs became much easier when applying wisdom provided by another.
Industry forecasts predict the world’s aviation fleet will better than double within the next 15 years. Yes, that means many new technology products will be appearing, but it also means 50 percent of aircraft will be considered “aging” and some part of the tribe will hopefully possess the knowledge and wisdom to keep them flying along with the newer ones. The tribe, like aircraft, are also aging and there are fewer and fewer replacements to pass on the accumulated knowledge.
I have learned many things over the years, including putting little faith in self proclaimed “senior technicians”. Don’t just profess to know and assume knowledge is power, be a professor and share what you know and possess a willingness to continue to learn from others.
