Narrative:

Yaw damp deferred on aircraft and previous controllability problems reported by previous crew -- flew 1 round trip without incident, but during walkaround noted right flap appeared out of alignment with trailing edge of wing. Upon further inspection, roller was found to be cracked and maintenance was called. Mechanic determined that incorrect serial number flap had been installed, grounding aircraft until suitable replacement could be obtained. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airplane type was an E-120-30 passenger transport. The location was on the ramp at atlanta. The first officer called to the captain's attention the variance in alignment of the flap gap. The flap was from one of the first 5 or 6 E-120 made and the reporter said those 5 or 6 early airplanes were almost hand made at that time and their parts are not interchangeable with this newer airplane. The cracks are difficult if not impossible to see without maintenance assistance. But, the out of alignment can be seen. The reporter said this would probably not happen with another airline because this airline has 60 of these E-120 and the reporter believes all of the first 5 or 6 that were hand made.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: THE WRONG SERIAL NUMBER FLAP IS DISCOVERED TO BE INSTALLED ON THE EMB-120.

Narrative: YAW DAMP DEFERRED ON ACFT AND PREVIOUS CONTROLLABILITY PROBS RPTED BY PREVIOUS CREW -- FLEW 1 ROUND TRIP WITHOUT INCIDENT, BUT DURING WALKAROUND NOTED R FLAP APPEARED OUT OF ALIGNMENT WITH TRAILING EDGE OF WING. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION, ROLLER WAS FOUND TO BE CRACKED AND MAINT WAS CALLED. MECH DETERMINED THAT INCORRECT SERIAL NUMBER FLAP HAD BEEN INSTALLED, GNDING ACFT UNTIL SUITABLE REPLACEMENT COULD BE OBTAINED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRPLANE TYPE WAS AN E-120-30 PAX TRANSPORT. THE LOCATION WAS ON THE RAMP AT ATLANTA. THE FO CALLED TO THE CAPT'S ATTN THE VARIANCE IN ALIGNMENT OF THE FLAP GAP. THE FLAP WAS FROM ONE OF THE FIRST 5 OR 6 E-120 MADE AND THE RPTR SAID THOSE 5 OR 6 EARLY AIRPLANES WERE ALMOST HAND MADE AT THAT TIME AND THEIR PARTS ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE WITH THIS NEWER AIRPLANE. THE CRACKS ARE DIFFICULT IF NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO SEE WITHOUT MAINT ASSISTANCE. BUT, THE OUT OF ALIGNMENT CAN BE SEEN. THE RPTR SAID THIS WOULD PROBABLY NOT HAPPEN WITH ANOTHER AIRLINE BECAUSE THIS AIRLINE HAS 60 OF THESE E-120 AND THE RPTR BELIEVES ALL OF THE FIRST 5 OR 6 THAT WERE HAND MADE.

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.