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During assembly of an MD80 engine the #1 bearing and its associated carbon spacer's position were reversed. The engine failed during the post maintenance run-up.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 326437 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199601 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng |
| Navigation In Use | Other |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 326437 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 326419 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
On jan/tue/96 an MD80 type was in ZZZ for maintenance. The #2 engine had a low frequency vibration in the fan at idle. Even though the proper job cards were used and the proper parts were available, it appears that the #1 bearing and carbon seal spacer may have been inadvertently swapped. Even in this scenario, the axial length does not change and the seal, bearing, and nut assembly were torqued and safetied to the proper specifications. My involvement was assisting in the mechanical work and signing the aircraft records. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this reporter said that the bearing/spacer swap error was caught during the initial engine run-up when the spacer failed to perform as a bearing should. The engine was again disassembled and the bearing and the spacer were correctly replaced. Neither the company or the FAA have contacted the reporter since.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: DURING ASSEMBLY OF AN MD80 ENG THE #1 BEARING AND ITS ASSOCIATED CARBON SPACER'S POS WERE REVERSED. THE ENG FAILED DURING THE POST MAINT RUN-UP.
Narrative: ON JAN/TUE/96 AN MD80 TYPE WAS IN ZZZ FOR MAINT. THE #2 ENG HAD A LOW FREQ VIBRATION IN THE FAN AT IDLE. EVEN THOUGH THE PROPER JOB CARDS WERE USED AND THE PROPER PARTS WERE AVAILABLE, IT APPEARS THAT THE #1 BEARING AND CARBON SEAL SPACER MAY HAVE BEEN INADVERTENTLY SWAPPED. EVEN IN THIS SCENARIO, THE AXIAL LENGTH DOES NOT CHANGE AND THE SEAL, BEARING, AND NUT ASSEMBLY WERE TORQUED AND SAFETIED TO THE PROPER SPECS. MY INVOLVEMENT WAS ASSISTING IN THE MECHANICAL WORK AND SIGNING THE ACFT RECORDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR SAID THAT THE BEARING/SPACER SWAP ERROR WAS CAUGHT DURING THE INITIAL ENG RUN-UP WHEN THE SPACER FAILED TO PERFORM AS A BEARING SHOULD. THE ENG WAS AGAIN DISASSEMBLED AND THE BEARING AND THE SPACER WERE CORRECTLY REPLACED. NEITHER THE COMPANY OR THE FAA HAVE CONTACTED THE RPTR SINCE.
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.