A B737-400 was returned to service with rudder damage incurred during the rudder replacement.

Attributes
ACN	379073
Time
Date	199709
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	379073
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	379072
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Part was left between rudder and vertical stabilizer. Panel was damaged and discovered on walkaround by flight crew. Visual inspection before installation of rudder possible corrective action. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter states the maintenance manual and job card directs that removed rudder hinge parts be bagged and tied in the vertical stabilizer trailing edge cavity. The reporter said someone missed the one bag of removed hinge fittings and obtained new fittings from stores and installed the new hinge fittings leaving the removed fittings in the cavity. The reporter stated when the operational check was performed the bagged parts damaged the rudder leading edge. The reporter stated the job card and the maintenance manual have both been changed to remove the bagged parts being tied in the vertical stabilizer trailing edge cavity. The reporter said the FAA has made contact. Callback conversation with reporter of acn 379072 revealed the following information: the reporter stated this job has been done many times with this same group of mechanics and no damage resulted. The reporter said this particular bag of parts was tied in a deep portion of the trailing edge cavity and was not accounted for or recorded on any work card.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 WAS RETURNED TO SVC WITH RUDDER DAMAGE INCURRED DURING THE RUDDER REPLACEMENT.

Narrative: PART WAS LEFT BTWN RUDDER AND VERT STABILIZER. PANEL WAS DAMAGED AND DISCOVERED ON WALKAROUND BY FLC. VISUAL INSPECTION BEFORE INSTALLATION OF RUDDER POSSIBLE CORRECTIVE ACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATES THE MAINT MANUAL AND JOB CARD DIRECTS THAT REMOVED RUDDER HINGE PARTS BE BAGGED AND TIED IN THE VERT STABILIZER TRAILING EDGE CAVITY. THE RPTR SAID SOMEONE MISSED THE ONE BAG OF REMOVED HINGE FITTINGS AND OBTAINED NEW FITTINGS FROM STORES AND INSTALLED THE NEW HINGE FITTINGS LEAVING THE REMOVED FITTINGS IN THE CAVITY. THE RPTR STATED WHEN THE OPERATIONAL CHK WAS PERFORMED THE BAGGED PARTS DAMAGED THE RUDDER LEADING EDGE. THE RPTR STATED THE JOB CARD AND THE MAINT MANUAL HAVE BOTH BEEN CHANGED TO REMOVE THE BAGGED PARTS BEING TIED IN THE VERT STABILIZER TRAILING EDGE CAVITY. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA HAS MADE CONTACT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR OF ACN 379072 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THIS JOB HAS BEEN DONE MANY TIMES WITH THIS SAME GROUP OF MECHS AND NO DAMAGE RESULTED. THE RPTR SAID THIS PARTICULAR BAG OF PARTS WAS TIED IN A DEEP PORTION OF THE TRAILING EDGE CAVITY AND WAS NOT ACCOUNTED FOR OR RECORDED ON ANY WORK CARD.

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.