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A B727-200 was dispatched and operated with a trailing edge flap jackscrew gimbal installed incorrectly incurring damage to the elephant ear flap fairing.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 423533 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199812 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| 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 | B727-200 |
| Flight Phase | other |
| Flight Plan | None |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| ASRS Report | 423533 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Qualification | other other : other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I was assigned to work a flap jackscrew change on aircraft xyz on dec/xa/98. I replaced the jackscrew per the maintenance manual. The maintenance manual is confusing to a point and gives no warning for the placement of the gimbal on the flap. After installation and operations check of the jackscrew, the aircraft was released to service. I was later notified approximately 3 weeks later that the gimbal had been installed incorrectly and caused damage to the elephant ear. The problem with the maintenance manual is it tells you to install the gimbal with the oil tubes outboard of the flap on the outboard flaps, and outboard jackscrew on the inboard flap, but inboard on the inboard flap, inboard jackscrew. It gave no warnings as to incorrect installation can cause damage and the elephant ear fairing is also called an elephant ear flap, so which flap would they be talking about?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED WITH A TRAILING EDGE FLAP JACKSCREW GIMBAL INSTALLED INCORRECTLY INCURRING DAMAGE TO THE ELEPHANT EAR FLAP FAIRING.
Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK A FLAP JACKSCREW CHANGE ON ACFT XYZ ON DEC/XA/98. I REPLACED THE JACKSCREW PER THE MAINT MANUAL. THE MAINT MANUAL IS CONFUSING TO A POINT AND GIVES NO WARNING FOR THE PLACEMENT OF THE GIMBAL ON THE FLAP. AFTER INSTALLATION AND OPS CHK OF THE JACKSCREW, THE ACFT WAS RELEASED TO SVC. I WAS LATER NOTIFIED APPROX 3 WKS LATER THAT THE GIMBAL HAD BEEN INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AND CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE ELEPHANT EAR. THE PROB WITH THE MAINT MANUAL IS IT TELLS YOU TO INSTALL THE GIMBAL WITH THE OIL TUBES OUTBOARD OF THE FLAP ON THE OUTBOARD FLAPS, AND OUTBOARD JACKSCREW ON THE INBOARD FLAP, BUT INBOARD ON THE INBOARD FLAP, INBOARD JACKSCREW. IT GAVE NO WARNINGS AS TO INCORRECT INSTALLATION CAN CAUSE DAMAGE AND THE ELEPHANT EAR FAIRING IS ALSO CALLED AN ELEPHANT EAR FLAP, SO WHICH FLAP WOULD THEY BE TALKING ABOUT?
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.