Narrative:

I received a call from ZZZ maintenance at approximately XA40 on oct/tue/99 stating that the parking brake setting mechanism was not working properly and that they suspected a broken cable. They ordered a cable assembly part number 2643374-503 and advised me that it would take approximately 2 hours to change. At that time I took the aircraft OTS, set a parts plus 2 hour 'estimated return to service' on it, notified maintenance manager, maintenance control shift manager, and ordered cable assembly. I received a call back from ZZZ maintenance at approximately XC00 that they were able to adjust cable up a notch and that parking brake was now working fine and that they were calling aircraft back in service. Was advised that cable appeared stretched and had 3 or 4 broken wires in it and should be changed out soon. I immediately put aircraft xyz back in service, notified the maintenance manager as such, but also notified him that I planned on asking abc maintenance to take another look at the brake setting cable assembly and to change it out if need be. I asked, if possible, that the aircraft be rerted to allow for a couple more hours of ground time in abc as a precaution. I then called the abc maintenance control center and asked if they would check out the parking brake system and parking brake cable assembly on aircraft xyz on arrival into abc from ZZZ, because of ZZZ maintenance reporting that cable appeared stretched and that it had 3 or 4 wires in it broken. Also advised them that I was having 'aircraft on ground' move a cable assembly from XXX to abc in case it needed to be changed. Was in turn advised that they would set up to check out parking brake assembly. I did not consider the reported 3 or 4 broken wires in the parking brake setting cable to be a safety of flight problem, but if I had known the cable to be in such a poor condition as reported by ZZZ maintenance after the aircraft arrived in abc, I would never have allowed the aircraft to depart ZZZ. I was relieved at the end of my shift at XF30 by mr X and advised him that as a precaution I had asked abc maintenance set-up to inspect parking brake cable and system on aircraft xyz's arrival into abc and for them to replace it, if required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A DEFERRED ITEM FOR REPLACEMENT OF A PARKING BRAKE CTL CABLE THAT WAS BEYOND DISPATCH LIMITS.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A CALL FROM ZZZ MAINT AT APPROX XA40 ON OCT/TUE/99 STATING THAT THE PARKING BRAKE SETTING MECHANISM WAS NOT WORKING PROPERLY AND THAT THEY SUSPECTED A BROKEN CABLE. THEY ORDERED A CABLE ASSEMBLY PART NUMBER 2643374-503 AND ADVISED ME THAT IT WOULD TAKE APPROX 2 HRS TO CHANGE. AT THAT TIME I TOOK THE ACFT OTS, SET A PARTS PLUS 2 HR 'ESTIMATED RETURN TO SVC' ON IT, NOTIFIED MAINT MGR, MAINT CTL SHIFT MGR, AND ORDERED CABLE ASSEMBLY. I RECEIVED A CALL BACK FROM ZZZ MAINT AT APPROX XC00 THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO ADJUST CABLE UP A NOTCH AND THAT PARKING BRAKE WAS NOW WORKING FINE AND THAT THEY WERE CALLING ACFT BACK IN SVC. WAS ADVISED THAT CABLE APPEARED STRETCHED AND HAD 3 OR 4 BROKEN WIRES IN IT AND SHOULD BE CHANGED OUT SOON. I IMMEDIATELY PUT ACFT XYZ BACK IN SVC, NOTIFIED THE MAINT MGR AS SUCH, BUT ALSO NOTIFIED HIM THAT I PLANNED ON ASKING ABC MAINT TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THE BRAKE SETTING CABLE ASSEMBLY AND TO CHANGE IT OUT IF NEED BE. I ASKED, IF POSSIBLE, THAT THE ACFT BE RERTED TO ALLOW FOR A COUPLE MORE HRS OF GND TIME IN ABC AS A PRECAUTION. I THEN CALLED THE ABC MAINT CTL CTR AND ASKED IF THEY WOULD CHK OUT THE PARKING BRAKE SYS AND PARKING BRAKE CABLE ASSEMBLY ON ACFT XYZ ON ARR INTO ABC FROM ZZZ, BECAUSE OF ZZZ MAINT RPTING THAT CABLE APPEARED STRETCHED AND THAT IT HAD 3 OR 4 WIRES IN IT BROKEN. ALSO ADVISED THEM THAT I WAS HAVING 'ACFT ON GND' MOVE A CABLE ASSEMBLY FROM XXX TO ABC IN CASE IT NEEDED TO BE CHANGED. WAS IN TURN ADVISED THAT THEY WOULD SET UP TO CHK OUT PARKING BRAKE ASSEMBLY. I DID NOT CONSIDER THE RPTED 3 OR 4 BROKEN WIRES IN THE PARKING BRAKE SETTING CABLE TO BE A SAFETY OF FLT PROB, BUT IF I HAD KNOWN THE CABLE TO BE IN SUCH A POOR CONDITION AS RPTED BY ZZZ MAINT AFTER THE ACFT ARRIVED IN ABC, I WOULD NEVER HAVE ALLOWED THE ACFT TO DEPART ZZZ. I WAS RELIEVED AT THE END OF MY SHIFT AT XF30 BY MR X AND ADVISED HIM THAT AS A PRECAUTION I HAD ASKED ABC MAINT SET-UP TO INSPECT PARKING BRAKE CABLE AND SYS ON ACFT XYZ'S ARR INTO ABC AND FOR THEM TO REPLACE IT, IF REQUIRED.

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.