A B727-200 was dispatched in non compliance with the incorrect pallet lock installed.

Attributes
ACN	447975
Time
Date	199908
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
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	B727-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 12
ASRS Report	447975
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft arrived at dtw with position #1 forward left outboard pallet lock deferred due to slight misalignment of that lock with the adjacent locks. The flight crew mentioned that this had been noticed when a bent cargo pallet had been put in that position and would not lock down. A svcable pallet was then tried and it locked down normally. I replaced the lock with another of the same part number, using a svcable lock from our local parts stock room. All 5 of the locks on this row were the same type. The lock misalignment seemed to be diminished with the replacement lock, so after trying another pallet in that position I cleared the deferral. Any misalignment in this lock actually caused the pallet to be held more securely. A couple of days later the cargo loaders complained that it was still difficult to lock down this position, so I checked the part number and found that the wrong part had been installed in this position. I also found that the wrong part number was installed in the r-hand outboard position of the same row. At that point, I replaced both locks in accordance with the B727 ipc. Both locks had minor damage from loader abuse. All the locks on this new line up very well now.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT PALLET LOCK INSTALLED.

Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED AT DTW WITH POS #1 FORWARD L OUTBOARD PALLET LOCK DEFERRED DUE TO SLIGHT MISALIGNMENT OF THAT LOCK WITH THE ADJACENT LOCKS. THE FLC MENTIONED THAT THIS HAD BEEN NOTICED WHEN A BENT CARGO PALLET HAD BEEN PUT IN THAT POS AND WOULD NOT LOCK DOWN. A SVCABLE PALLET WAS THEN TRIED AND IT LOCKED DOWN NORMALLY. I REPLACED THE LOCK WITH ANOTHER OF THE SAME PART NUMBER, USING A SVCABLE LOCK FROM OUR LCL PARTS STOCK ROOM. ALL 5 OF THE LOCKS ON THIS ROW WERE THE SAME TYPE. THE LOCK MISALIGNMENT SEEMED TO BE DIMINISHED WITH THE REPLACEMENT LOCK, SO AFTER TRYING ANOTHER PALLET IN THAT POS I CLRED THE DEFERRAL. ANY MISALIGNMENT IN THIS LOCK ACTUALLY CAUSED THE PALLET TO BE HELD MORE SECURELY. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER THE CARGO LOADERS COMPLAINED THAT IT WAS STILL DIFFICULT TO LOCK DOWN THIS POS, SO I CHKED THE PART NUMBER AND FOUND THAT THE WRONG PART HAD BEEN INSTALLED IN THIS POS. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE WRONG PART NUMBER WAS INSTALLED IN THE R-HAND OUTBOARD POS OF THE SAME ROW. AT THAT POINT, I REPLACED BOTH LOCKS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE B727 IPC. BOTH LOCKS HAD MINOR DAMAGE FROM LOADER ABUSE. ALL THE LOCKS ON THIS NEW LINE UP VERY WELL NOW.

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.