Narrative:

On dec/xa/98 a meeting held by abc xyz, engine shop manager, was held concerning the MD80 APU gtc 85-98DC(B). This was due to serial #wxyz being sent to the manufacturer for investigation of oil smell in cabin problems. Teardown and inspection by the manufacturer determined some parts were omitted. Air carrier disclosed this to the FAA and shop personnel. This type engine has been built using air carrier computer paperwork, work cards, work decks, which make no mention of the omitted parts or engineering orders or ea's concerning these parts. The maintenance manuals are in the foreman's office behind forman's desk which makes them very inconvenient. In an inventory of parts in the shop we are finding class/control has multiple part numbers which do not necessarily coincide with manufacturer part numbers. Some parts have been found to have no part numbers (manufacturer's part number). Our inventory is being checked for proper manufacturer's part numbers and serial numbers and work packs are being reviewed for the correct part numbers for each build. These are to be corrected as needed per the maintenance manual. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the shop has been using the air carrier computer paperwork that was introduced but not updated when errors or omissions are found. The reporter said the gtc 85-98DC(B) unit can be used on the DC9 and the MD80. The reporter stated the unit used on the MD80 must have a containment ring installed around the turbine because of the higher speed and workload and some units may have been released without the containment ring. The reporter stated the engineering group and management are not cooperative when requesting updates or revisions to the paperwork. Callback conversation with reporter acn 424430 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the APU sent to the manufacturer was a chronic unit returned to the shop for smoke in the cabin reports and was found missing parts not found on the build-up paperwork. The paperwork is inaccurate and most have no torque values for parts attachment. Callback conversation with reporter acn 424427 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the shop was never informed of any engineering authority/authorized or engineering orders that added these parts or made any changes to the units and was to be added to the job cards. The reporter said it is the reporter's belief the air carrier is planning to shut down the shop and is not about to make any expensive revisions or changes. Since the FAA investigated the job cards and paperwork, it has improved somewhat but has a long way to go.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN APU ENG SHOP BUILT AND RELEASED FOR SVC MD80 AND DC9 APU'S IMPROPERLY USING ACR COMPUTER GENERATED PAPERWORK AND JOB CARDS.

Narrative: ON DEC/XA/98 A MEETING HELD BY ABC XYZ, ENG SHOP MGR, WAS HELD CONCERNING THE MD80 APU GTC 85-98DC(B). THIS WAS DUE TO SERIAL #WXYZ BEING SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER FOR INVESTIGATION OF OIL SMELL IN CABIN PROBS. TEARDOWN AND INSPECTION BY THE MANUFACTURER DETERMINED SOME PARTS WERE OMITTED. ACR DISCLOSED THIS TO THE FAA AND SHOP PERSONNEL. THIS TYPE ENG HAS BEEN BUILT USING ACR COMPUTER PAPERWORK, WORK CARDS, WORK DECKS, WHICH MAKE NO MENTION OF THE OMITTED PARTS OR ENGINEERING ORDERS OR EA'S CONCERNING THESE PARTS. THE MAINT MANUALS ARE IN THE FOREMAN'S OFFICE BEHIND FORMAN'S DESK WHICH MAKES THEM VERY INCONVENIENT. IN AN INVENTORY OF PARTS IN THE SHOP WE ARE FINDING CLASS/CTL HAS MULTIPLE PART NUMBERS WHICH DO NOT NECESSARILY COINCIDE WITH MANUFACTURER PART NUMBERS. SOME PARTS HAVE BEEN FOUND TO HAVE NO PART NUMBERS (MANUFACTURER'S PART NUMBER). OUR INVENTORY IS BEING CHKED FOR PROPER MANUFACTURER'S PART NUMBERS AND SERIAL NUMBERS AND WORK PACKS ARE BEING REVIEWED FOR THE CORRECT PART NUMBERS FOR EACH BUILD. THESE ARE TO BE CORRECTED AS NEEDED PER THE MAINT MANUAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SHOP HAS BEEN USING THE ACR COMPUTER PAPERWORK THAT WAS INTRODUCED BUT NOT UPDATED WHEN ERRORS OR OMISSIONS ARE FOUND. THE RPTR SAID THE GTC 85-98DC(B) UNIT CAN BE USED ON THE DC9 AND THE MD80. THE RPTR STATED THE UNIT USED ON THE MD80 MUST HAVE A CONTAINMENT RING INSTALLED AROUND THE TURBINE BECAUSE OF THE HIGHER SPD AND WORKLOAD AND SOME UNITS MAY HAVE BEEN RELEASED WITHOUT THE CONTAINMENT RING. THE RPTR STATED THE ENGINEERING GROUP AND MGMNT ARE NOT COOPERATIVE WHEN REQUESTING UPDATES OR REVISIONS TO THE PAPERWORK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 424430 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE APU SENT TO THE MANUFACTURER WAS A CHRONIC UNIT RETURNED TO THE SHOP FOR SMOKE IN THE CABIN RPTS AND WAS FOUND MISSING PARTS NOT FOUND ON THE BUILD-UP PAPERWORK. THE PAPERWORK IS INACCURATE AND MOST HAVE NO TORQUE VALUES FOR PARTS ATTACHMENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 424427 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SHOP WAS NEVER INFORMED OF ANY ENGINEERING AUTH OR ENGINEERING ORDERS THAT ADDED THESE PARTS OR MADE ANY CHANGES TO THE UNITS AND WAS TO BE ADDED TO THE JOB CARDS. THE RPTR SAID IT IS THE RPTR'S BELIEF THE ACR IS PLANNING TO SHUT DOWN THE SHOP AND IS NOT ABOUT TO MAKE ANY EXPENSIVE REVISIONS OR CHANGES. SINCE THE FAA INVESTIGATED THE JOB CARDS AND PAPERWORK, IT HAS IMPROVED SOMEWHAT BUT HAS A LONG WAY TO GO.

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.