Narrative:

I found a large number of discrepancies while performing an MD80 overnight transit check. One of the items I found were some dents in the #1 engine nose cowl. I didn't see them listed in the damage file so I checked the aircraft's mach history. I found the dents listed in the mach history on an OM7 and saw the nose cowl was approved to be replaced at the next overhaul as per engineering. After seeing this I proceeded to take corrective action repairing the remaining open discrepancies. I didn't complete all of the repairs due to the high number, so the aircraft was repositioned to the hangar for the dayshift to complete. Upon arriving at work the next evening another mechanic informed me that the nose cowl (#1) was replaced due to dents, found by inspectors on a walkaround. I started in investigate this since I figured there was some type of misunderstanding. I saw the nose cowl in the parts area, so I went back to the computer, and printed out the entire mach history page for the dents. I then went over to the cowl with the printed history page listing types of dents, measurements, locations, etc, etc. Upon a careful comparison it was then I realized I had misinterpreted, inadvertently some of the mach history engineering data. From now on I realize I must make a hard copy of the entire mach history, and carefully check all of the data as not inadvertently misinterpret it again. Next time also I will list on my transit check time I did check the history.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECH MISINTERPRETED ENGINEERING DATA. COWL REPAIR DELAYED 1 DAY.

Narrative: I FOUND A LARGE NUMBER OF DISCREPANCIES WHILE PERFORMING AN MD80 OVERNIGHT TRANSIT CHK. ONE OF THE ITEMS I FOUND WERE SOME DENTS IN THE #1 ENG NOSE COWL. I DIDN'T SEE THEM LISTED IN THE DAMAGE FILE SO I CHKED THE ACFT'S MACH HISTORY. I FOUND THE DENTS LISTED IN THE MACH HISTORY ON AN OM7 AND SAW THE NOSE COWL WAS APPROVED TO BE REPLACED AT THE NEXT OVERHAUL AS PER ENGINEERING. AFTER SEEING THIS I PROCEEDED TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION REPAIRING THE REMAINING OPEN DISCREPANCIES. I DIDN'T COMPLETE ALL OF THE REPAIRS DUE TO THE HIGH NUMBER, SO THE ACFT WAS REPOSITIONED TO THE HANGAR FOR THE DAYSHIFT TO COMPLETE. UPON ARRIVING AT WORK THE NEXT EVENING ANOTHER MECH INFORMED ME THAT THE NOSE COWL (#1) WAS REPLACED DUE TO DENTS, FOUND BY INSPECTORS ON A WALKAROUND. I STARTED IN INVESTIGATE THIS SINCE I FIGURED THERE WAS SOME TYPE OF MISUNDERSTANDING. I SAW THE NOSE COWL IN THE PARTS AREA, SO I WENT BACK TO THE COMPUTER, AND PRINTED OUT THE ENTIRE MACH HISTORY PAGE FOR THE DENTS. I THEN WENT OVER TO THE COWL WITH THE PRINTED HISTORY PAGE LISTING TYPES OF DENTS, MEASUREMENTS, LOCATIONS, ETC, ETC. UPON A CAREFUL COMPARISON IT WAS THEN I REALIZED I HAD MISINTERPRETED, INADVERTENTLY SOME OF THE MACH HISTORY ENGINEERING DATA. FROM NOW ON I REALIZE I MUST MAKE A HARD COPY OF THE ENTIRE MACH HISTORY, AND CAREFULLY CHK ALL OF THE DATA AS NOT INADVERTENTLY MISINTERPRET IT AGAIN. NEXT TIME ALSO I WILL LIST ON MY TRANSIT CHK TIME I DID CHK THE HISTORY.

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.