Narrative:

I installed a modified lavatory tank in an MD88 and later found a mistake in the paperwork. It is an engineering order airworthiness directive related that installs the tanks with new hardware to hold them in place. It removes the tank per the maintenance manual but installs it per a routine card. The tank was already removed when I picked up on the job but apparently not routed to the shop as I don't think that part of the card was signed off, it may have been, but by the time we got back to the hangar the tanks had been routed by the aircraft lead and were gone. I installed the new tank per the routine card which neglected to install any bonding straps to the tank or the motor. I am sure this is an oversight in the paperwork but I also know that per the routine card I installed the tank and it came with no bonding strap on the motor. There should have been one from the removal of the old tank but it was not on the aircraft and the card made no reference to it, nor did it reference the location of the strap that goes on the top of the tank. The next day I saw the old tanks sitting in a shop waiting for rework and saw the bonding straps. I looked it up under installation in the maintenance manual and sure enough it calls for a strap at the top of the tank and one on the motor. I told the aircraft lead and forman and they are going to contact the engineer and let him know about the oversight in the paperwork and contact the MD88 desk and let them know that the aircraft needs bonding straps installed per the manual. Update: we have contacted the bay planner and I put in a card change request which I hand delivered to the MD88 chief engineer. The MD88 desk has made a setup that checked the aircraft in question for bonding straps at the tank and the flush motor in all lavatories per the maintenance manual.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFT L LAVATORY TANK AND FLUSH MOTOR GND STRAPS NOT INSTALLED.

Narrative: I INSTALLED A MODIFIED LAVATORY TANK IN AN MD88 AND LATER FOUND A MISTAKE IN THE PAPERWORK. IT IS AN ENGINEERING ORDER AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE RELATED THAT INSTALLS THE TANKS WITH NEW HARDWARE TO HOLD THEM IN PLACE. IT REMOVES THE TANK PER THE MAINT MANUAL BUT INSTALLS IT PER A ROUTINE CARD. THE TANK WAS ALREADY REMOVED WHEN I PICKED UP ON THE JOB BUT APPARENTLY NOT ROUTED TO THE SHOP AS I DON'T THINK THAT PART OF THE CARD WAS SIGNED OFF, IT MAY HAVE BEEN, BUT BY THE TIME WE GOT BACK TO THE HANGAR THE TANKS HAD BEEN ROUTED BY THE ACFT LEAD AND WERE GONE. I INSTALLED THE NEW TANK PER THE ROUTINE CARD WHICH NEGLECTED TO INSTALL ANY BONDING STRAPS TO THE TANK OR THE MOTOR. I AM SURE THIS IS AN OVERSIGHT IN THE PAPERWORK BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT PER THE ROUTINE CARD I INSTALLED THE TANK AND IT CAME WITH NO BONDING STRAP ON THE MOTOR. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ONE FROM THE REMOVAL OF THE OLD TANK BUT IT WAS NOT ON THE ACFT AND THE CARD MADE NO REF TO IT, NOR DID IT REF THE LOCATION OF THE STRAP THAT GOES ON THE TOP OF THE TANK. THE NEXT DAY I SAW THE OLD TANKS SITTING IN A SHOP WAITING FOR REWORK AND SAW THE BONDING STRAPS. I LOOKED IT UP UNDER INSTALLATION IN THE MAINT MANUAL AND SURE ENOUGH IT CALLS FOR A STRAP AT THE TOP OF THE TANK AND ONE ON THE MOTOR. I TOLD THE ACFT LEAD AND FORMAN AND THEY ARE GOING TO CONTACT THE ENGINEER AND LET HIM KNOW ABOUT THE OVERSIGHT IN THE PAPERWORK AND CONTACT THE MD88 DESK AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THE ACFT NEEDS BONDING STRAPS INSTALLED PER THE MANUAL. UPDATE: WE HAVE CONTACTED THE BAY PLANNER AND I PUT IN A CARD CHANGE REQUEST WHICH I HAND DELIVERED TO THE MD88 CHIEF ENGINEER. THE MD88 DESK HAS MADE A SETUP THAT CHKED THE ACFT IN QUESTION FOR BONDING STRAPS AT THE TANK AND THE FLUSH MOTOR IN ALL LAVATORIES PER THE MAINT MANUAL.

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.