A DC10 incurred a maintenance delay due to an improperly installed main wheel and tire assembly.

Attributes
ACN	370010
Time
Date	199705
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 10
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	370010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On may/xx/97, I was assigned to check DC10 tires and brakes. I was not very familiar with the aircraft, so I asked the opinion of a mechanic who works on the DC10 on a nightly basis. He said that the tire in question ought to be changed, and he volunteered to help me. Although he is not a training lead and has only 3 months more experience than me, I silently assumed the role of his trainee, since it was my first DC10 tire change, and he had done several. We changed the tire according to the maintenance manual and when I asked him about the 'spacer,' he thought that a new one was already in place, but there was not one there. We finished installing the wheel, and when my partner filled out the unsvcable tag for the worn tire, he entered the wrong aircraft number. Later in the morning, the tire shop noticed that the 'spacer' was still with the unsvcable wheel. But due to the paperwork error, they chased down and delayed the wrong aircraft. When they realized the mistake, they had to also delay the correct aircraft to replace the 'spacer.' after the problem was corrected, both aircraft were safely returned to service.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC10 INCURRED A MAINT DELAY DUE TO AN IMPROPERLY INSTALLED MAIN WHEEL AND TIRE ASSEMBLY.

Narrative: ON MAY/XX/97, I WAS ASSIGNED TO CHK DC10 TIRES AND BRAKES. I WAS NOT VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE ACFT, SO I ASKED THE OPINION OF A MECH WHO WORKS ON THE DC10 ON A NIGHTLY BASIS. HE SAID THAT THE TIRE IN QUESTION OUGHT TO BE CHANGED, AND HE VOLUNTEERED TO HELP ME. ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT A TRAINING LEAD AND HAS ONLY 3 MONTHS MORE EXPERIENCE THAN ME, I SILENTLY ASSUMED THE ROLE OF HIS TRAINEE, SINCE IT WAS MY FIRST DC10 TIRE CHANGE, AND HE HAD DONE SEVERAL. WE CHANGED THE TIRE ACCORDING TO THE MAINT MANUAL AND WHEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT THE 'SPACER,' HE THOUGHT THAT A NEW ONE WAS ALREADY IN PLACE, BUT THERE WAS NOT ONE THERE. WE FINISHED INSTALLING THE WHEEL, AND WHEN MY PARTNER FILLED OUT THE UNSVCABLE TAG FOR THE WORN TIRE, HE ENTERED THE WRONG ACFT NUMBER. LATER IN THE MORNING, THE TIRE SHOP NOTICED THAT THE 'SPACER' WAS STILL WITH THE UNSVCABLE WHEEL. BUT DUE TO THE PAPERWORK ERROR, THEY CHASED DOWN AND DELAYED THE WRONG ACFT. WHEN THEY REALIZED THE MISTAKE, THEY HAD TO ALSO DELAY THE CORRECT ACFT TO REPLACE THE 'SPACER.' AFTER THE PROB WAS CORRECTED, BOTH ACFT WERE SAFELY RETURNED TO SVC.

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.