Narrative:

Aircraft came in with log write-up 'during approach aircraft rolled rapidly left and right (+/-5 to 7 degrees) with speed brakes extended 1/4 inch travel. Flight attendant heard a pop (loud) sound prior to oscillations. I performed a visual inspection of all accessible areas of the slats, flaps, and spoilers including pulleys and cables on wing and wheel well for security and condition. Not finding any abnormalities, performed an operational check of the flight spoilers which they operated normally. After talking to my lead mechanic who was in contact with our maintenance controller that a verification flight would be needed to see if they could duplicate the occurrence prior to releasing the aircraft back to revenue flight. At the moment this seemed acceptable to me since I could not find anything obviously wrong. It was only later that I realized I had not done an inspection with the aircraft in-flight mode which was not called out in the maintenance manual, but might have given some help in the troubleshooting, before sending the aircraft into the verification flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WHICH EXPERIENCED A ROLL WHEN THE FLT SPOILERS WERE DEPLOYED MAY HAVE BEEN INSPECTED AND CHKED IN ERROR DUE TO THE MAINT MANUAL NOT REQUIRING A TEST IN THE AIR MODE.

Narrative: ACFT CAME IN WITH LOG WRITE-UP 'DURING APCH ACFT ROLLED RAPIDLY L AND R (+/-5 TO 7 DEGS) WITH SPD BRAKES EXTENDED 1/4 INCH TRAVEL. FLT ATTENDANT HEARD A POP (LOUD) SOUND PRIOR TO OSCILLATIONS. I PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF ALL ACCESSIBLE AREAS OF THE SLATS, FLAPS, AND SPOILERS INCLUDING PULLEYS AND CABLES ON WING AND WHEEL WELL FOR SECURITY AND CONDITION. NOT FINDING ANY ABNORMALITIES, PERFORMED AN OPERATIONAL CHK OF THE FLT SPOILERS WHICH THEY OPERATED NORMALLY. AFTER TALKING TO MY LEAD MECH WHO WAS IN CONTACT WITH OUR MAINT CTLR THAT A VERIFICATION FLT WOULD BE NEEDED TO SEE IF THEY COULD DUPLICATE THE OCCURRENCE PRIOR TO RELEASING THE ACFT BACK TO REVENUE FLT. AT THE MOMENT THIS SEEMED ACCEPTABLE TO ME SINCE I COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING OBVIOUSLY WRONG. IT WAS ONLY LATER THAT I REALIZED I HAD NOT DONE AN INSPECTION WITH THE ACFT INFLT MODE WHICH WAS NOT CALLED OUT IN THE MAINT MANUAL, BUT MIGHT HAVE GIVEN SOME HELP IN THE TROUBLESHOOTING, BEFORE SENDING THE ACFT INTO THE VERIFICATION FLT.

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.