Date: 202006
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: DEN.Airport, CO
Flight conditions: VMC
Light: Night
Aircraft: A320
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Seatbelt
Component problem: Improperly Operated
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: Technician
Reporter qualification: Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Human factors: Communication Breakdown; Time Pressure
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Maintenance; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Maintenance
When detected: Routine Inspection
Result: General Maintenance Action; General Flight Cancelled / Delayed
Contributing factors: Procedure; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Aircraft
Primary problem: Procedure

Narrative: I was assigned a Service check and an Acro seat inspection task card. After the service check we started the Acro seat inspection; on the inspection we are supposed to check the seatbelt webbing in ref to AMSAFE webbing service life guidelines. During the inspection I found a total of 71 seat belts. There were two different part numbers of seat belts that were on the plane. Part Number which is a dark blue seat belt and Part Number which is a light gray seat belt. To make sure these were the proper seat belts that go on the seats I researched in the Acro seat CMM to make sure we had the right part numbers for the right seats. For the black seats which have the dark blue seatbelts on them. For the light gray seats which have the light gray seat belts on them. At the time of the inspection we had 76 of the dark blue seat belts at ZZZ stores and 0 of the light gray in ZZZ stores. Of the 71 total seat belts 12 were dark blue and 59 were light gray. We ordered all 12 of the dark blue seat belts and replaced them. We found 16 of the light gray seat belts in free stock and replaced those. That left 43 light gray seat belts that I wrote up since there was no stock in ZZZ stores. My lead for the night requisitioned the seat belts for the defect and the aircraft was taken out of service. I left at my scheduled time that morning. I discovered that the morning of date the seat belts that we wrote up were replaced with the ineffective seat belts for those seats. The defects was then signed off by dayshift Supervisor.The cause of this event is due to the lack of integrity because instead of wanting to put the effective part on and waiting for those parts to get here. The wrong part numbers were told to be put on; without knowing by dayshift mechanics; why the plane was put out of service due to effective parts not being in stock. The dayshift Supervisor most likely wanted to get the plane flying as soon as possible and not worry about the effective part number. This is also due to the parts not being available at the station that is doing the task card/inspection.Increase quality assurance for the company as a whole organization and in each individual. Have planning make sure we have all the parts that we may possibly need in stock and ready at the time of inspection.




Synopsis: Technician reported after conducting a seat belt inspection; the aircraft was removed from service due to parts not available; the aircraft was released for service by management with incorrect seatbelts installed.