Narrative:

Aircraft xyz flight abc reference logbook write-up wzxy dec/mon/99. Aircraft arrived with PIREP for nose gear vibration. Mechanic brought to my attention excessive play in torque link upper pin area. I called aircraft out of service. Supervisor was sent out and he in turn called out shift manager. Manager contacted maintenance control. Aircraft scheduled last leg to XXX for routine overnight. Manager asked me if it was all right to change nose tire and ship to XXX where it would be repaired that evening ('parts would be shipped'). I told him I would not sign if off, but I had no problem with it if it was fixed that night. Right nose tire, that was worn but still within service limits, was changed and nose gear linkage was lubed and write-up was signed off. A follow-up was issued to inspect nose gear torque links. Aircraft nose gear was not addressed that night and aircraft flew for several more days before it was found to be ok with no further maintenance being done. Aircraft maintenance manual shows service limit for end play at link/gear trunnion fit to be 0.02 inches. We did not measure, but observed gap to be approximately 0.2 - 0.25 inches. That is tenths not hundredths as called for in maintenance manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE NOSE GEAR STEERING TORQUE UPPER APEX BUSHINGS WORN BEYOND MAINT MANUAL LIMITS.

Narrative: ACFT XYZ FLT ABC REF LOGBOOK WRITE-UP WZXY DEC/MON/99. ACFT ARRIVED WITH PIREP FOR NOSE GEAR VIBRATION. MECH BROUGHT TO MY ATTN EXCESSIVE PLAY IN TORQUE LINK UPPER PIN AREA. I CALLED ACFT OUT OF SVC. SUPVR WAS SENT OUT AND HE IN TURN CALLED OUT SHIFT MGR. MGR CONTACTED MAINT CTL. ACFT SCHEDULED LAST LEG TO XXX FOR ROUTINE OVERNIGHT. MGR ASKED ME IF IT WAS ALL RIGHT TO CHANGE NOSE TIRE AND SHIP TO XXX WHERE IT WOULD BE REPAIRED THAT EVENING ('PARTS WOULD BE SHIPPED'). I TOLD HIM I WOULD NOT SIGN IF OFF, BUT I HAD NO PROB WITH IT IF IT WAS FIXED THAT NIGHT. R NOSE TIRE, THAT WAS WORN BUT STILL WITHIN SVC LIMITS, WAS CHANGED AND NOSE GEAR LINKAGE WAS LUBED AND WRITE-UP WAS SIGNED OFF. A FOLLOW-UP WAS ISSUED TO INSPECT NOSE GEAR TORQUE LINKS. ACFT NOSE GEAR WAS NOT ADDRESSED THAT NIGHT AND ACFT FLEW FOR SEVERAL MORE DAYS BEFORE IT WAS FOUND TO BE OK WITH NO FURTHER MAINT BEING DONE. ACFT MAINT MANUAL SHOWS SVC LIMIT FOR END PLAY AT LINK/GEAR TRUNNION FIT TO BE 0.02 INCHES. WE DID NOT MEASURE, BUT OBSERVED GAP TO BE APPROX 0.2 - 0.25 INCHES. THAT IS TENTHS NOT HUNDREDTHS AS CALLED FOR IN 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.