Narrative:

On jul/xa/98 I was assigned a non routine card to reinstall the aft radius rod in aircraft xyz. After a new rod end bearing was installed on the tube portion of that rod, I installed the rod in the aircraft and safetied stating on the job status of the non routine that it needed rigged and operations checked. The rigging and operations check was done by someone else on aug/xb/98 and our inspection department bought the card off. The other mechanic was also assigned an air carrier task card to check the altitude left gear system on the r-hand wing gear. This check tells the mechanic to remove a bolt in the rod assembly and loosen another to check the start/stop action of the alternate gear motor. Then reinstall the bolts and tighten -- no inspection follow-up on this task. The aircraft flew approximately 15 flts then had to do an air turnback after dumping fuel because the r-hand wing left gear would not retract. The linkage to the door operated seq val (connected to the above mentioned rod) was not connected but the hardware was intact. I cannot see how the gear could make 30 cycles with the rod disconnected or even stuck. I think the air carrier task should have had inspection follow-up, and the way the bolt is installed (cotterkeyed), self locking nuts may have avoided this. Also, this air carrier task has no header card requiring a computer signoff or the date that it was done.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-200 WAS OPERATED WITH AN INPUT ROD END TO THE ALTERNATE GEAR EXTENSION NOT SECURED RESULTING IN A WING GEAR FAILING TO RETRACT.

Narrative: ON JUL/XA/98 I WAS ASSIGNED A NON ROUTINE CARD TO REINSTALL THE AFT RADIUS ROD IN ACFT XYZ. AFTER A NEW ROD END BEARING WAS INSTALLED ON THE TUBE PORTION OF THAT ROD, I INSTALLED THE ROD IN THE ACFT AND SAFETIED STATING ON THE JOB STATUS OF THE NON ROUTINE THAT IT NEEDED RIGGED AND OPS CHKED. THE RIGGING AND OPS CHK WAS DONE BY SOMEONE ELSE ON AUG/XB/98 AND OUR INSPECTION DEPT BOUGHT THE CARD OFF. THE OTHER MECH WAS ALSO ASSIGNED AN ACR TASK CARD TO CHK THE ALT L GEAR SYS ON THE R-HAND WING GEAR. THIS CHK TELLS THE MECH TO REMOVE A BOLT IN THE ROD ASSEMBLY AND LOOSEN ANOTHER TO CHK THE START/STOP ACTION OF THE ALTERNATE GEAR MOTOR. THEN REINSTALL THE BOLTS AND TIGHTEN -- NO INSPECTION FOLLOW-UP ON THIS TASK. THE ACFT FLEW APPROX 15 FLTS THEN HAD TO DO AN AIR TURNBACK AFTER DUMPING FUEL BECAUSE THE R-HAND WING L GEAR WOULD NOT RETRACT. THE LINKAGE TO THE DOOR OPERATED SEQ VAL (CONNECTED TO THE ABOVE MENTIONED ROD) WAS NOT CONNECTED BUT THE HARDWARE WAS INTACT. I CANNOT SEE HOW THE GEAR COULD MAKE 30 CYCLES WITH THE ROD DISCONNECTED OR EVEN STUCK. I THINK THE ACR TASK SHOULD HAVE HAD INSPECTION FOLLOW-UP, AND THE WAY THE BOLT IS INSTALLED (COTTERKEYED), SELF LOCKING NUTS MAY HAVE AVOIDED THIS. ALSO, THIS ACR TASK HAS NO HEADER CARD REQUIRING A COMPUTER SIGNOFF OR THE DATE THAT IT WAS DONE.

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.