Narrative:

On oct/mon/99, I worked on air carrier aircraft nose number xyz using a job card WX-VVV that replaces the l-hand aileron bus cable absa. While proceeding with the job card instructions I installed the cable clamps as instructed in the job card and I proceeded to cut the terminal at the aileron quadrant end of the absa cable that needed to be replaced. After I cut the cable terminal I heat shrink a good portion of the old cable with the new one and I proceeded to route the new cable through. After the new cable was routed I cut 4 inches off the cable as indicated on my job card. I swaged the cable and I did the pull test and sold it to inspection. When I hooked up the turn-barrel I found the cable too long. At this time it was the end of my shift and next shift took over the job. As of mar/tue/00, I found out that the mechanic cut an additional 2 inches off after the 4 inches I had cut. Also, the day I was informed that the opposing cable of the absa cable had been misrouted through a pulley. The problem was found on a heavy maintenance visit of the airplane. Supplemental information from acn 466638: on oct/tue/99, I was assigned to ZZZ air carrier aircraft nose #xyy to rig the l-hand aileron bus cable due to replacement of absa cable. When I received the job, the new cable was already connected and tensioned. I proceeded with the job by pretensioning the l-hand aileron cable system to prestretch the replaced cable. The tension was then brought down to the normal tension of 165 pounds with rig pins installed, aileron neutral was then rigged. When aileron system was completely rigged, I safetied the one turn barrel and checked safeties of the other turn barrels and checked applicable guards, pulleys and fair leads of the replaced cable. Functional check and travels were sold to inspection. Aileron system was cycled manually and there was no excessive friction or binding. After completion, job was again given to inspection for checking of cable routing, safety and security. On feb/mon/00 during a heavy maintenance visit, absb cable was found misrouted around a spoiler pulley and bracket. This is the opposing cable of the above replaced cable. In my opinion, the cable was not misrouted during the absa cable change because only one turn barrel was adjusted. The absb turn barrel safety pins were not disturbed, meaning absb cable length has not changed to acquire aileron neutral. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the left aileron bus cable absa was installed and rigged per the maintenance manual. The reporter said the left aileron bus cable absb was not disturbed as the turnbuckle safety pins were intact and after completion of the absa cable installation no large rigging changes were required to bring the aileron to neutral. The reporter said this would indicate cable absb length had not changed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 DURING A HVY MAINT, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE L AILERON BUS CABLE ABSB WAS MISROUTED AROUND A SPOILER PULLEY BRACKET.

Narrative: ON OCT/MON/99, I WORKED ON ACR ACFT NOSE NUMBER XYZ USING A JOB CARD WX-VVV THAT REPLACES THE L-HAND AILERON BUS CABLE ABSA. WHILE PROCEEDING WITH THE JOB CARD INSTRUCTIONS I INSTALLED THE CABLE CLAMPS AS INSTRUCTED IN THE JOB CARD AND I PROCEEDED TO CUT THE TERMINAL AT THE AILERON QUADRANT END OF THE ABSA CABLE THAT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. AFTER I CUT THE CABLE TERMINAL I HEAT SHRINK A GOOD PORTION OF THE OLD CABLE WITH THE NEW ONE AND I PROCEEDED TO RTE THE NEW CABLE THROUGH. AFTER THE NEW CABLE WAS ROUTED I CUT 4 INCHES OFF THE CABLE AS INDICATED ON MY JOB CARD. I SWAGED THE CABLE AND I DID THE PULL TEST AND SOLD IT TO INSPECTION. WHEN I HOOKED UP THE TURN-BARREL I FOUND THE CABLE TOO LONG. AT THIS TIME IT WAS THE END OF MY SHIFT AND NEXT SHIFT TOOK OVER THE JOB. AS OF MAR/TUE/00, I FOUND OUT THAT THE MECH CUT AN ADDITIONAL 2 INCHES OFF AFTER THE 4 INCHES I HAD CUT. ALSO, THE DAY I WAS INFORMED THAT THE OPPOSING CABLE OF THE ABSA CABLE HAD BEEN MISROUTED THROUGH A PULLEY. THE PROB WAS FOUND ON A HVY MAINT VISIT OF THE AIRPLANE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 466638: ON OCT/TUE/99, I WAS ASSIGNED TO ZZZ ACR ACFT NOSE #XYY TO RIG THE L-HAND AILERON BUS CABLE DUE TO REPLACEMENT OF ABSA CABLE. WHEN I RECEIVED THE JOB, THE NEW CABLE WAS ALREADY CONNECTED AND TENSIONED. I PROCEEDED WITH THE JOB BY PRETENSIONING THE L-HAND AILERON CABLE SYS TO PRESTRETCH THE REPLACED CABLE. THE TENSION WAS THEN BROUGHT DOWN TO THE NORMAL TENSION OF 165 LBS WITH RIG PINS INSTALLED, AILERON NEUTRAL WAS THEN RIGGED. WHEN AILERON SYS WAS COMPLETELY RIGGED, I SAFETIED THE ONE TURN BARREL AND CHKED SAFETIES OF THE OTHER TURN BARRELS AND CHKED APPLICABLE GUARDS, PULLEYS AND FAIR LEADS OF THE REPLACED CABLE. FUNCTIONAL CHK AND TRAVELS WERE SOLD TO INSPECTION. AILERON SYS WAS CYCLED MANUALLY AND THERE WAS NO EXCESSIVE FRICTION OR BINDING. AFTER COMPLETION, JOB WAS AGAIN GIVEN TO INSPECTION FOR CHKING OF CABLE ROUTING, SAFETY AND SECURITY. ON FEB/MON/00 DURING A HVY MAINT VISIT, ABSB CABLE WAS FOUND MISROUTED AROUND A SPOILER PULLEY AND BRACKET. THIS IS THE OPPOSING CABLE OF THE ABOVE REPLACED CABLE. IN MY OPINION, THE CABLE WAS NOT MISROUTED DURING THE ABSA CABLE CHANGE BECAUSE ONLY ONE TURN BARREL WAS ADJUSTED. THE ABSB TURN BARREL SAFETY PINS WERE NOT DISTURBED, MEANING ABSB CABLE LENGTH HAS NOT CHANGED TO ACQUIRE AILERON NEUTRAL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE L AILERON BUS CABLE ABSA WAS INSTALLED AND RIGGED PER THE MAINT MANUAL. THE RPTR SAID THE L AILERON BUS CABLE ABSB WAS NOT DISTURBED AS THE TURNBUCKLE SAFETY PINS WERE INTACT AND AFTER COMPLETION OF THE ABSA CABLE INSTALLATION NO LARGE RIGGING CHANGES WERE REQUIRED TO BRING THE AILERON TO NEUTRAL. THE RPTR SAID THIS WOULD INDICATE CABLE ABSB LENGTH HAD NOT CHANGED.

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.