An airbus 320 required nose gear strut seal replacement to allow normal gear retraction but tooling ...

Attributes
ACN	393242
Time
Date	199802
Day	Mon
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	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
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	393242
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	392853
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was asked to work with mechanics on aircraft xyz, feb/xx/98, approximately time XA00. I was to be the inspector, but soon saw that nose landing gear leak (conference with our engineering) would be strut change for seal replacement. Management asked us to re-service for a maintenance ferry. Conference with local engineering and YYY engineering we were informed paperwork was in desperate need of re-write. Our first problem was the 3 way valve needed in paperwork was not stocked at ZZZ. When we informed management we were asked to press on. Maintenance manual paperwork first states to service service chart with skydrol, then later stated to use military-H-5606. We missed seeing this second reference. Air carrier procedures gn/MM 9-0-0-6 also state if pressure filling of strut differ from maintenance manual there will be specific documents. There are no airbus 'purge-vac' instruction for the airbus maintenance manual as air carrier has for its other fleets, yet we were questioned why we didn't use the purge-vac. Decision was made among mechanics not to use high pressure source, since machine at ZZZ is different from that described in gn/MM and lack of training on high pressure service unit. Manuals are also confusing in that the different ways of servicing are separated by 16 pages (pressure and low pressure fill). This poor manual created an original return to the field and another service with incorrect fluid. I feel both could have been prevented with proper paperwork and better training and proper tooling.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 REQUIRED NOSE GEAR STRUT SEAL REPLACEMENT TO ALLOW NORMAL GEAR RETRACTION BUT TOOLING WAS UNAVAILABLE AND MAINT MANUAL PROCS WERE CONFUSING RESULTING IN USING THE WRONG FLUID.

Narrative: I WAS ASKED TO WORK WITH MECHS ON ACFT XYZ, FEB/XX/98, APPROX TIME XA00. I WAS TO BE THE INSPECTOR, BUT SOON SAW THAT NOSE LNDG GEAR LEAK (CONFERENCE WITH OUR ENGINEERING) WOULD BE STRUT CHANGE FOR SEAL REPLACEMENT. MGMNT ASKED US TO RE-SVC FOR A MAINT FERRY. CONFERENCE WITH LCL ENGINEERING AND YYY ENGINEERING WE WERE INFORMED PAPERWORK WAS IN DESPERATE NEED OF RE-WRITE. OUR FIRST PROB WAS THE 3 WAY VALVE NEEDED IN PAPERWORK WAS NOT STOCKED AT ZZZ. WHEN WE INFORMED MGMNT WE WERE ASKED TO PRESS ON. MAINT MANUAL PAPERWORK FIRST STATES TO SVC SVC CHART WITH SKYDROL, THEN LATER STATED TO USE MIL-H-5606. WE MISSED SEEING THIS SECOND REF. ACR PROCS GN/MM 9-0-0-6 ALSO STATE IF PRESSURE FILLING OF STRUT DIFFER FROM MAINT MANUAL THERE WILL BE SPECIFIC DOCUMENTS. THERE ARE NO AIRBUS 'PURGE-VAC' INSTRUCTION FOR THE AIRBUS MAINT MANUAL AS ACR HAS FOR ITS OTHER FLEETS, YET WE WERE QUESTIONED WHY WE DIDN'T USE THE PURGE-VAC. DECISION WAS MADE AMONG MECHS NOT TO USE HIGH PRESSURE SOURCE, SINCE MACHINE AT ZZZ IS DIFFERENT FROM THAT DESCRIBED IN GN/MM AND LACK OF TRAINING ON HIGH PRESSURE SVC UNIT. MANUALS ARE ALSO CONFUSING IN THAT THE DIFFERENT WAYS OF SVCING ARE SEPARATED BY 16 PAGES (PRESSURE AND LOW PRESSURE FILL). THIS POOR MANUAL CREATED AN ORIGINAL RETURN TO THE FIELD AND ANOTHER SVC WITH INCORRECT FLUID. I FEEL BOTH COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED WITH PROPER PAPERWORK AND BETTER TRAINING AND PROPER TOOLING.

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.

An airbus 320 required nose gear strut seal replacement to allow normal gear retraction but tooling was unavailable and maintenance manual procedures were confusing resulting in using the wrong fluid.