<< >> NASA ASRS Report 432926, March 1999

APU's for MD80, DC9, and B737 aircraft were being repaired for 7 yrs without documentation on repair procedures for the turbine nozzle guide vanes.

Attributes
ACN	432926
Time
Date	199903
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : repairman
Experience	maintenance repairman : 33
ASRS Report	432926
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance
Independent Detector	other other : mech1
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : work cards contributing factor : engineering procedure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : training performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Company Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Situations
Publication	APU Overhaul Manual

Narrative:

After our foreman in the APU shop at air carrier retired, paperwork and work cards were revised. I built an MD80 nozzle vane chamber (nvc) and while assembling the hot section it was noted we had too much clearance in turbine to nozzle. In the past, xyx abc (our old foreman) would tell the lead mechanic to run the nozzle to machine shop and skim cut outer ring surface to make the clearance between nozzle and turbine within limits. Experience on MD80 it's .018 to .023 inches. We never had any set procedure or paperwork to accomplish this. We were told by xyx abc that this repair was authority/authorized and to just do it. On my build of MD80 engine, serial number zzyzy, we got with engineering and got authority/authorized and an engineering authority/authorized to accomplish this modification. Paperwork is now in order.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: APU'S FOR MD80, DC9, AND B737 ACFT WERE BEING REPAIRED FOR 7 YRS WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION ON REPAIR PROCS FOR THE TURBINE NOZZLE GUIDE VANES.

Narrative: AFTER OUR FOREMAN IN THE APU SHOP AT ACR RETIRED, PAPERWORK AND WORK CARDS WERE REVISED. I BUILT AN MD80 NOZZLE VANE CHAMBER (NVC) AND WHILE ASSEMBLING THE HOT SECTION IT WAS NOTED WE HAD TOO MUCH CLRNC IN TURBINE TO NOZZLE. IN THE PAST, XYX ABC (OUR OLD FOREMAN) WOULD TELL THE LEAD MECH TO RUN THE NOZZLE TO MACHINE SHOP AND SKIM CUT OUTER RING SURFACE TO MAKE THE CLRNC BTWN NOZZLE AND TURBINE WITHIN LIMITS. EXPERIENCE ON MD80 IT'S .018 TO .023 INCHES. WE NEVER HAD ANY SET PROC OR PAPERWORK TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. WE WERE TOLD BY XYX ABC THAT THIS REPAIR WAS AUTH AND TO JUST DO IT. ON MY BUILD OF MD80 ENG, SERIAL NUMBER ZZYZY, WE GOT WITH ENGINEERING AND GOT AUTH AND AN ENGINEERING AUTH TO ACCOMPLISH THIS MODIFICATION. PAPERWORK IS NOW IN ORDER.

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.