Narrative:

I was working the gate operation. I heard over the radio that aircraft XXX was doing a run-up check on #3 right engine hydraulic pump and that the light would not go out. At that point I called the hangar line supervisor and asked him what was going on with that aircraft. I told him if pump was not working we couldn't handle aircraft. He told me it was a light problem as they changed the cannon plug and was also deferrable. So aircraft came down from hangar with smc write-up #3 right hydraulic pump inoperative. When aircraft arrived at the gate I talked to taxi crew and they again told me that the #3 right pump light did in fact not go out with pump operation. So I deferred light as inoperative with operational pump. So twice we were told that the light was the fault and was deferrable. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the aircraft was a DC10 cargo series 30F. The low pressure warning light was the item reporter deferred after talking to the hangar line supervisor and the engine run mechanics. In fact the #3 engine right pump should have been deferred as inoperative due to loss of control of the pump. When the connector was replaced on the line, the wiring was incorrectly installed in the connector. The pump had a good output but no way to bypass the pump if necessary. The company took punitive action against reporter but he only acted on information he received. FAA has contacted reporter by letter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 FREIGHTER HAD THE #3 R ENG DRIVEN HYD PUMP INCORRECTLY DEFERRED.

Narrative: I WAS WORKING THE GATE OP. I HEARD OVER THE RADIO THAT ACFT XXX WAS DOING A RUN-UP CHK ON #3 R ENG HYD PUMP AND THAT THE LIGHT WOULD NOT GO OUT. AT THAT POINT I CALLED THE HANGAR LINE SUPVR AND ASKED HIM WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THAT ACFT. I TOLD HIM IF PUMP WAS NOT WORKING WE COULDN'T HANDLE ACFT. HE TOLD ME IT WAS A LIGHT PROB AS THEY CHANGED THE CANNON PLUG AND WAS ALSO DEFERRABLE. SO ACFT CAME DOWN FROM HANGAR WITH SMC WRITE-UP #3 R HYD PUMP INOP. WHEN ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE I TALKED TO TAXI CREW AND THEY AGAIN TOLD ME THAT THE #3 R PUMP LIGHT DID IN FACT NOT GO OUT WITH PUMP OP. SO I DEFERRED LIGHT AS INOP WITH OPERATIONAL PUMP. SO TWICE WE WERE TOLD THAT THE LIGHT WAS THE FAULT AND WAS DEFERRABLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE ACFT WAS A DC10 CARGO SERIES 30F. THE LOW PRESSURE WARNING LIGHT WAS THE ITEM RPTR DEFERRED AFTER TALKING TO THE HANGAR LINE SUPVR AND THE ENG RUN MECHS. IN FACT THE #3 ENG R PUMP SHOULD HAVE BEEN DEFERRED AS INOP DUE TO LOSS OF CTL OF THE PUMP. WHEN THE CONNECTOR WAS REPLACED ON THE LINE, THE WIRING WAS INCORRECTLY INSTALLED IN THE CONNECTOR. THE PUMP HAD A GOOD OUTPUT BUT NO WAY TO BYPASS THE PUMP IF NECESSARY. THE COMPANY TOOK PUNITIVE ACTION AGAINST RPTR BUT HE ONLY ACTED ON INFO HE RECEIVED. FAA HAS CONTACTED RPTR BY LETTER.

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.