A saab 340B was dispatched with the aileron trim control switch wired backwards.

Attributes
ACN	380319
Time
Date	199709
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
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	SF 340B
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	380319
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	380553
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified cockpit
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was asked to install a roll trim actuator switch for the maintenance department. After removing the old switch and installing the new switch I realized that I was not 100% sure of the proper indexing of the switch. I informed the mechanic working on the system that the switch may have been installed backwards and that they needed to check it for proper operation. After the panel was installed into the aircraft the mechanics informed me that it was working correctly and they were sure the switch was installed correctly. The next day the first crew to fly the aircraft wrote up the roll trim to be working backwards. The switch was then indexed correctly and there was not an incident as a result. Supplemental information from acn 380553: avionics repaired the panel by installing a new switch. Once the panel was repaired, I reinstalled the panel and myself and the inspector proceeded to do the operational check of the system. A miscom between myself in the cockpit operating the switches and the inspector outside observing the trim tab movement, resulted in an incorrect operations check that was thought to be good. Supplemental information from acn 380555: while removing panel I broke a grounding wire to the cannon plug. While 2 mechanics used the panel on the other aircraft I initiated an xyz work card with 2 discrepancies, one for the panel and one for the broken ground wire. Before I could also open up an entry in the logbook I got called to another aircraft and forgot to do a logbook entry. On sep/xa/97, I received a call at home that the xyz I had initiated was found by a pilot with no corrective action sign-offs on it. It was found inside the logbook. It had been that way since sep/xx/97. I went in and verified that both discrepancies had been done, then I signed off the xyz card found previously complied with. I don't know who did the actual work but they also had forgotten to do the xyz entry. Because I forgot to do the logbook entry the xyz card was missed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SAAB 340B WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE AILERON TRIM CTL SWITCH WIRED BACKWARDS.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO INSTALL A ROLL TRIM ACTUATOR SWITCH FOR THE MAINT DEPT. AFTER REMOVING THE OLD SWITCH AND INSTALLING THE NEW SWITCH I REALIZED THAT I WAS NOT 100% SURE OF THE PROPER INDEXING OF THE SWITCH. I INFORMED THE MECH WORKING ON THE SYS THAT THE SWITCH MAY HAVE BEEN INSTALLED BACKWARDS AND THAT THEY NEEDED TO CHK IT FOR PROPER OP. AFTER THE PANEL WAS INSTALLED INTO THE ACFT THE MECHS INFORMED ME THAT IT WAS WORKING CORRECTLY AND THEY WERE SURE THE SWITCH WAS INSTALLED CORRECTLY. THE NEXT DAY THE FIRST CREW TO FLY THE ACFT WROTE UP THE ROLL TRIM TO BE WORKING BACKWARDS. THE SWITCH WAS THEN INDEXED CORRECTLY AND THERE WAS NOT AN INCIDENT AS A RESULT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 380553: AVIONICS REPAIRED THE PANEL BY INSTALLING A NEW SWITCH. ONCE THE PANEL WAS REPAIRED, I REINSTALLED THE PANEL AND MYSELF AND THE INSPECTOR PROCEEDED TO DO THE OPERATIONAL CHK OF THE SYS. A MISCOM BTWN MYSELF IN THE COCKPIT OPERATING THE SWITCHES AND THE INSPECTOR OUTSIDE OBSERVING THE TRIM TAB MOVEMENT, RESULTED IN AN INCORRECT OPS CHK THAT WAS THOUGHT TO BE GOOD. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 380555: WHILE REMOVING PANEL I BROKE A GROUNDING WIRE TO THE CANNON PLUG. WHILE 2 MECHS USED THE PANEL ON THE OTHER ACFT I INITIATED AN XYZ WORK CARD WITH 2 DISCREPANCIES, ONE FOR THE PANEL AND ONE FOR THE BROKEN GND WIRE. BEFORE I COULD ALSO OPEN UP AN ENTRY IN THE LOGBOOK I GOT CALLED TO ANOTHER ACFT AND FORGOT TO DO A LOGBOOK ENTRY. ON SEP/XA/97, I RECEIVED A CALL AT HOME THAT THE XYZ I HAD INITIATED WAS FOUND BY A PLT WITH NO CORRECTIVE ACTION SIGN-OFFS ON IT. IT WAS FOUND INSIDE THE LOGBOOK. IT HAD BEEN THAT WAY SINCE SEP/XX/97. I WENT IN AND VERIFIED THAT BOTH DISCREPANCIES HAD BEEN DONE, THEN I SIGNED OFF THE XYZ CARD FOUND PREVIOUSLY COMPLIED WITH. I DON'T KNOW WHO DID THE ACTUAL WORK BUT THEY ALSO HAD FORGOTTEN TO DO THE XYZ ENTRY. BECAUSE I FORGOT TO DO THE LOGBOOK ENTRY THE XYZ CARD WAS MISSED.

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.