Narrative:

First officer informed me of right main gear bumper pad missing. I visually verified this and first officer explained that this is an MEL-confign deviation list ok for 50 flight hours if pad was missing. (First officer had previous aircraft with missing pads.) the MEL/confign deviation list book had/has no reference. I called DC9 technician desk and explained above. Yyxx technician representative recalled something about the 50 hours and proceeded to look up the information and associated part(south). Concurrently, I was looking up maintenance manual but could not get tape to feed and tried illustrated parts catalog for part numbers to program. (Reader printers/tapes often malfunction.) we simultaneously found part number. I checked computer and ZZZ stocked said part. On my way to stores, cpt on gate X asked if I could look at something. I told him to call operations as this was not my gate. Returning to terminal mechanic's office, I tried maintenance manual again but continued to have misfeeds as more time passed before departure. Giving up and on my way back to aircraft xyz to verify again what was involved without maintenance manual tape reference, cpt on gate Y or gate west had write-ups or questions. I hurriedly explained I was busy, got to aircraft xyz and saw baggage was nearly all loaded and jetway canopy was up. For the advent of time, I replaced bumper pad as removal/installation was easy and to take no unnecessary delay and returned to mechanic office. Technical center still had not found any information either way (MEL-confign deviation list/jack), and we agreed it should be no problem with replacement. At the time, this seemed prudent. I safetied as needed, signed off logbook as plane was now at departure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A R MAIN GEAR BUMPER PAD REPLACED WITHOUT INSPECTION AND REQUIRED GEAR RETRACTION CHK.

Narrative: FO INFORMED ME OF R MAIN GEAR BUMPER PAD MISSING. I VISUALLY VERIFIED THIS AND FO EXPLAINED THAT THIS IS AN MEL-CONFIGN DEV LIST OK FOR 50 FLT HRS IF PAD WAS MISSING. (FO HAD PREVIOUS ACFT WITH MISSING PADS.) THE MEL/CONFIGN DEV LIST BOOK HAD/HAS NO REF. I CALLED DC9 TECHNICIAN DESK AND EXPLAINED ABOVE. YYXX TECHNICIAN REPRESENTATIVE RECALLED SOMETHING ABOUT THE 50 HRS AND PROCEEDED TO LOOK UP THE INFO AND ASSOCIATED PART(S). CONCURRENTLY, I WAS LOOKING UP MAINT MANUAL BUT COULD NOT GET TAPE TO FEED AND TRIED ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG FOR PART NUMBERS TO PROGRAM. (READER PRINTERS/TAPES OFTEN MALFUNCTION.) WE SIMULTANEOUSLY FOUND PART NUMBER. I CHKED COMPUTER AND ZZZ STOCKED SAID PART. ON MY WAY TO STORES, CPT ON GATE X ASKED IF I COULD LOOK AT SOMETHING. I TOLD HIM TO CALL OPS AS THIS WAS NOT MY GATE. RETURNING TO TERMINAL MECHANIC'S OFFICE, I TRIED MAINT MANUAL AGAIN BUT CONTINUED TO HAVE MISFEEDS AS MORE TIME PASSED BEFORE DEP. GIVING UP AND ON MY WAY BACK TO ACFT XYZ TO VERIFY AGAIN WHAT WAS INVOLVED WITHOUT MAINT MANUAL TAPE REF, CPT ON GATE Y OR GATE W HAD WRITE-UPS OR QUESTIONS. I HURRIEDLY EXPLAINED I WAS BUSY, GOT TO ACFT XYZ AND SAW BAGGAGE WAS NEARLY ALL LOADED AND JETWAY CANOPY WAS UP. FOR THE ADVENT OF TIME, I REPLACED BUMPER PAD AS REMOVAL/INSTALLATION WAS EASY AND TO TAKE NO UNNECESSARY DELAY AND RETURNED TO MECH OFFICE. TECHNICAL CTR STILL HAD NOT FOUND ANY INFO EITHER WAY (MEL-CONFIGN DEV LIST/JACK), AND WE AGREED IT SHOULD BE NO PROB WITH REPLACEMENT. AT THE TIME, THIS SEEMED PRUDENT. I SAFETIED AS NEEDED, SIGNED OFF LOGBOOK AS PLANE WAS NOW AT DEP.

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.