Narrative:

During #1 service I observed a broken bond wire on the left main landing gear fixed gear door. The aircraft was to depart on a scheduled flight in 40 mins. I contacted air carrier line maintenance to see if I could defer the wire, since there was only one on the door I could not. I notified the lead mechanic and had the parts man order a new one. The lead mechanic assigned 2 other mechanics to work with me on the job. I removed the old wire. The part that was delivered to the gate was the wrong part. The lead mechanic stated at some point in time to me that we could use 2 shorter bond wires bolted together to the proper length as a replacement. He stated that we had done this before. One of the mechanics I was working with went and acquired the bonding wires we needed from parts on hand and installed 2 bond wires to complete the proper length. While he installed the wires I completed the paperwork for the aircraft and generated a deferred item to replace the 2 wires with the proper one at the first maintenance opportunity. It didn't occur to me to check for possible references to this repair in one of our maintenance manuals because I didn't think there would be a reference to such a simple repair and no one had said anything about it. After the plane left we found out there was a reference and it stated that the repair we accomplished needed an engineering authority/authorized. The wire was replaced and the deferred item that I had generated was cleared later that day.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-500 WAS DISPATCHED WITH AN UNAUTH INTERIM REPAIR TO THE L MAIN GEAR FIXED DOOR BONDING WIRE.

Narrative: DURING #1 SVC I OBSERVED A BROKEN BOND WIRE ON THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR FIXED GEAR DOOR. THE ACFT WAS TO DEPART ON A SCHEDULED FLT IN 40 MINS. I CONTACTED ACR LINE MAINT TO SEE IF I COULD DEFER THE WIRE, SINCE THERE WAS ONLY ONE ON THE DOOR I COULD NOT. I NOTIFIED THE LEAD MECH AND HAD THE PARTS MAN ORDER A NEW ONE. THE LEAD MECH ASSIGNED 2 OTHER MECHS TO WORK WITH ME ON THE JOB. I REMOVED THE OLD WIRE. THE PART THAT WAS DELIVERED TO THE GATE WAS THE WRONG PART. THE LEAD MECH STATED AT SOME POINT IN TIME TO ME THAT WE COULD USE 2 SHORTER BOND WIRES BOLTED TOGETHER TO THE PROPER LENGTH AS A REPLACEMENT. HE STATED THAT WE HAD DONE THIS BEFORE. ONE OF THE MECHS I WAS WORKING WITH WENT AND ACQUIRED THE BONDING WIRES WE NEEDED FROM PARTS ON HAND AND INSTALLED 2 BOND WIRES TO COMPLETE THE PROPER LENGTH. WHILE HE INSTALLED THE WIRES I COMPLETED THE PAPERWORK FOR THE ACFT AND GENERATED A DEFERRED ITEM TO REPLACE THE 2 WIRES WITH THE PROPER ONE AT THE FIRST MAINT OPPORTUNITY. IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TO CHK FOR POSSIBLE REFS TO THIS REPAIR IN ONE OF OUR MAINT MANUALS BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK THERE WOULD BE A REF TO SUCH A SIMPLE REPAIR AND NO ONE HAD SAID ANYTHING ABOUT IT. AFTER THE PLANE LEFT WE FOUND OUT THERE WAS A REF AND IT STATED THAT THE REPAIR WE ACCOMPLISHED NEEDED AN ENGINEERING AUTH. THE WIRE WAS REPLACED AND THE DEFERRED ITEM THAT I HAD GENERATED WAS CLRED LATER THAT DAY.

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.