An MD80 was dispatched with a seat assembly missing the emergency light pack.

Attributes
ACN	400239
Time
Date	199804
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	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	400239
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On apr/xa/98, I was assigned to work on aircraft xyz. On the work release was item to replace seat due to broken center frame. Another mechanic and myself replaced the seat with no problems in accordance with maintenance manual. No life vest were installed on this aircraft only the gte phone. We reconnected the wiring for the phone after finishing my overnight check which included checking the emergency lights. We were done for the night. We returned the seat to the stockroom. On apr/xc/98, I was told by my maintenance manager on the problem with the seat. I spoke to quality assurance who told me that upon engineering checking the seat, noticed emergency light pack still on seat. They called maintenance control to verify if aircraft xyz was missing light unit. Aircraft was in bwi, where maintenance verified unit missing. Aircraft was taken OTS and ferried for maintenance. Quality assurance told me that additional information on the seat was in the appearance manual. I verified information which was correct. I did error in not installing a very important part of this aircraft's safety equipment. I did not notice the old unit on the old seat. This was the first time I dealt with this type of emergency light system except on B757's. There was no mention of this in the maintenance manual.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A SEAT ASSEMBLY MISSING THE EMER LIGHT PACK.

Narrative: ON APR/XA/98, I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK ON ACFT XYZ. ON THE WORK RELEASE WAS ITEM TO REPLACE SEAT DUE TO BROKEN CTR FRAME. ANOTHER MECH AND MYSELF REPLACED THE SEAT WITH NO PROBS IN ACCORDANCE WITH MAINT MANUAL. NO LIFE VEST WERE INSTALLED ON THIS ACFT ONLY THE GTE PHONE. WE RECONNECTED THE WIRING FOR THE PHONE AFTER FINISHING MY OVERNIGHT CHK WHICH INCLUDED CHKING THE EMER LIGHTS. WE WERE DONE FOR THE NIGHT. WE RETURNED THE SEAT TO THE STOCKROOM. ON APR/XC/98, I WAS TOLD BY MY MAINT MGR ON THE PROB WITH THE SEAT. I SPOKE TO QUALITY ASSURANCE WHO TOLD ME THAT UPON ENGINEERING CHKING THE SEAT, NOTICED EMER LIGHT PACK STILL ON SEAT. THEY CALLED MAINT CTL TO VERIFY IF ACFT XYZ WAS MISSING LIGHT UNIT. ACFT WAS IN BWI, WHERE MAINT VERIFIED UNIT MISSING. ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS AND FERRIED FOR MAINT. QUALITY ASSURANCE TOLD ME THAT ADDITIONAL INFO ON THE SEAT WAS IN THE APPEARANCE MANUAL. I VERIFIED INFO WHICH WAS CORRECT. I DID ERROR IN NOT INSTALLING A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THIS ACFT'S SAFETY EQUIP. I DID NOT NOTICE THE OLD UNIT ON THE OLD SEAT. THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I DEALT WITH THIS TYPE OF EMER LIGHT SYS EXCEPT ON B757'S. THERE WAS NO MENTION OF THIS IN THE MAINT MANUAL.

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.