An MD80 mechanic reports that the flight crew returned and landed when they noted severe vibrations ...

Attributes
ACN	341190
Time
Date	199607
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : zzz
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff ground : preflight landing other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	341190
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : declared emergency flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Pilot reported having noisy steering action and was adamant that lube job not be deferred. I took action to lube the steering mechanism, and in the process, the nosewheel well doors were opened. Upon completion of lubing the nose steering mechanism, the aircraft was dispatched inadvertently with the gear bay doors open. The problem was discovered upon takeoff when the pilot noticed severe vibrations. Gear was cycled but neither mechanical nor light safe indications were observed, indicating an unsafe gear. Emergency extension was tried with emergency handle, with no success. Upon restoring emergency handle to normal position gear cycled down and locked with both visual indicators observed. Aircraft accomplished safe landing. Contributing factors to incident were bolts installed with the head in the wrong direction snagging cables (as reported to me by receiving lead). I was assigned to 2 gates. This aircraft was behind schedule with a short turnaround time. I could not find tools or grease. I had to travel to the maintenance hangar to find grease to service the empty grease gun. I had received an unscheduled aircraft prior to this aircraft's arrival. It was not my standard shift and I was unfamiliar with relocation of equipment. Other personnel were busy on other aircraft, including the lead. The utility person was untrained in the dispatch of the DC9 type gear doors involved in this dispatch. Incident could possibly be prevented by better training in the location and relocation of supplies and tooling at gate areas, ensuring refilling and restocking of used supplies, painting the leading edge of nose bay doors red on DC9 type aircraft as a visual aid, and training of non maintenance personnel involved in the dispatch of aircraft in regard to nose bay doors.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 MECH RPTS THAT THE FLC RETURNED AND LANDED WHEN THEY NOTED SEVERE VIBRATIONS AND RECEIVED AN UNSAFE GEAR INDICATION AFTER TKOF. THE RPTR STATES HE HAD INADVERTENTLY LEFT THE NOSE GEAR DOORS SECURED OPEN WITH THE BOLT HEADS INSTALLED IN THE WRONG DIRECTION, CAUSING THEM TO SNAG GEAR MECHANISM CABLES.

Narrative: PLT RPTED HAVING NOISY STEERING ACTION AND WAS ADAMANT THAT LUBE JOB NOT BE DEFERRED. I TOOK ACTION TO LUBE THE STEERING MECHANISM, AND IN THE PROCESS, THE NOSEWHEEL WELL DOORS WERE OPENED. UPON COMPLETION OF LUBING THE NOSE STEERING MECHANISM, THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED INADVERTENTLY WITH THE GEAR BAY DOORS OPEN. THE PROB WAS DISCOVERED UPON TKOF WHEN THE PLT NOTICED SEVERE VIBRATIONS. GEAR WAS CYCLED BUT NEITHER MECHANICAL NOR LIGHT SAFE INDICATIONS WERE OBSERVED, INDICATING AN UNSAFE GEAR. EMER EXTENSION WAS TRIED WITH EMER HANDLE, WITH NO SUCCESS. UPON RESTORING EMER HANDLE TO NORMAL POS GEAR CYCLED DOWN AND LOCKED WITH BOTH VISUAL INDICATORS OBSERVED. ACFT ACCOMPLISHED SAFE LNDG. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO INCIDENT WERE BOLTS INSTALLED WITH THE HEAD IN THE WRONG DIRECTION SNAGGING CABLES (AS RPTED TO ME BY RECEIVING LEAD). I WAS ASSIGNED TO 2 GATES. THIS ACFT WAS BEHIND SCHEDULE WITH A SHORT TURNAROUND TIME. I COULD NOT FIND TOOLS OR GREASE. I HAD TO TRAVEL TO THE MAINT HANGAR TO FIND GREASE TO SVC THE EMPTY GREASE GUN. I HAD RECEIVED AN UNSCHEDULED ACFT PRIOR TO THIS ACFT'S ARR. IT WAS NOT MY STANDARD SHIFT AND I WAS UNFAMILIAR WITH RELOCATION OF EQUIP. OTHER PERSONNEL WERE BUSY ON OTHER ACFT, INCLUDING THE LEAD. THE UTILITY PERSON WAS UNTRAINED IN THE DISPATCH OF THE DC9 TYPE GEAR DOORS INVOLVED IN THIS DISPATCH. INCIDENT COULD POSSIBLY BE PREVENTED BY BETTER TRAINING IN THE LOCATION AND RELOCATION OF SUPPLIES AND TOOLING AT GATE AREAS, ENSURING REFILLING AND RESTOCKING OF USED SUPPLIES, PAINTING THE LEADING EDGE OF NOSE BAY DOORS RED ON DC9 TYPE ACFT AS A VISUAL AID, AND TRAINING OF NON MAINT PERSONNEL INVOLVED IN THE DISPATCH OF ACFT IN REGARD TO NOSE BAY DOORS.

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.