Narrative:

Flight planned phx-den, md-80 aircraft xx airlines. Prior to pushback in phx we noticed the tail core light illuminated on the annunciator panel. We contacted operations and requested maintenance. Yy mechanics (contact maintenance) checked the rear exit door and observed a seal above the door was broken which indicated the emergency door handle had been operated. This would have had to have happened during the previous night, our ron period, as we had flown that particular aircraft into phx the previous evening without that problem. The mechanics said they had previous experience on dc-9 and md-80 equipment and were familiar with the operation of the rear emergency exit door. A time of 17 yrs was mentioned as dc-9 experience and some of that time, (I think 3 yrs) was on md-80's. This the mechanics told us. The mechanics said all was secured and the locks were in place. They then contacted xx maintenance control. They were attempting to get a maintenance manual, or pages from a manual facsimile'ed to them from xx. We understood that the yy mechanics had been thoroughly briefed by xx maintenance control on necessary procedures to deal with the problem. The mechanics, after discussing with and checking over the affected system, returned to the cockpit and told the captain and myself, that the problem was an indication problem. There was something to do with a cable from a micro-switch that caused the tail cone light indicator problem. The mechanics told us this. Our paperwork -- (acculead) stated that MEL items 53-01(B), (C), (D), (east) were to be complied with. This was confirmed to have been done. The mechanics signal off the paperwork and placarded the system. We flew to den. The tail cone fell off on landing. The landing was smooth and not a factor. Corrective action should be in keeping maintenance hand at the stations, or the appropriate manuals if contract maintenance is to be used. Also more education to the persons responsible for operating the door handle in the first place.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LOSS OF TAIL CONE UPON LNDG.

Narrative: FLT PLANNED PHX-DEN, MD-80 ACFT XX AIRLINES. PRIOR TO PUSHBACK IN PHX WE NOTICED THE TAIL CORE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE ANNUNCIATOR PANEL. WE CONTACTED OPS AND REQUESTED MAINT. YY MECHS (CONTACT MAINT) CHKED THE REAR EXIT DOOR AND OBSERVED A SEAL ABOVE THE DOOR WAS BROKEN WHICH INDICATED THE EMER DOOR HANDLE HAD BEEN OPERATED. THIS WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE HAPPENED DURING THE PREVIOUS NIGHT, OUR RON PERIOD, AS WE HAD FLOWN THAT PARTICULAR ACFT INTO PHX THE PREVIOUS EVENING WITHOUT THAT PROB. THE MECHS SAID THEY HAD PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE ON DC-9 AND MD-80 EQUIP AND WERE FAMILIAR WITH THE OP OF THE REAR EMER EXIT DOOR. A TIME OF 17 YRS WAS MENTIONED AS DC-9 EXPERIENCE AND SOME OF THAT TIME, (I THINK 3 YRS) WAS ON MD-80'S. THIS THE MECHS TOLD US. THE MECHS SAID ALL WAS SECURED AND THE LOCKS WERE IN PLACE. THEY THEN CONTACTED XX MAINT CTL. THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO GET A MAINT MANUAL, OR PAGES FROM A MANUAL FAX'ED TO THEM FROM XX. WE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE YY MECHS HAD BEEN THOROUGHLY BRIEFED BY XX MAINT CTL ON NECESSARY PROCS TO DEAL WITH THE PROB. THE MECHS, AFTER DISCUSSING WITH AND CHKING OVER THE AFFECTED SYS, RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT AND TOLD THE CAPT AND MYSELF, THAT THE PROB WAS AN INDICATION PROB. THERE WAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH A CABLE FROM A MICRO-SWITCH THAT CAUSED THE TAIL CONE LIGHT INDICATOR PROB. THE MECHS TOLD US THIS. OUR PAPERWORK -- (ACCULEAD) STATED THAT MEL ITEMS 53-01(B), (C), (D), (E) WERE TO BE COMPLIED WITH. THIS WAS CONFIRMED TO HAVE BEEN DONE. THE MECHS SIGNAL OFF THE PAPERWORK AND PLACARDED THE SYS. WE FLEW TO DEN. THE TAIL CONE FELL OFF ON LNDG. THE LNDG WAS SMOOTH AND NOT A FACTOR. CORRECTIVE ACTION SHOULD BE IN KEEPING MAINT HAND AT THE STATIONS, OR THE APPROPRIATE MANUALS IF CONTRACT MAINT IS TO BE USED. ALSO MORE EDUCATION TO THE PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR OPERATING THE DOOR HANDLE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.