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A technician reports 2 different type electrical connectors are being installed on the B737-400 APU without approval documentation.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 513985 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200106 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-400 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| Experience | maintenance repairman : 27 |
| ASRS Report | 513985 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : person 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : engineering procedure contributing factor : manuals performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : installation |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOG |
Narrative:
When working a B737-400 APU strip harness there was an air carrier X job card change apr/thu/01 job card #abc a revision to change the main cannon plug from part number ms3459kt28-11PX to part number f2h6ke28-11PX. Our engineering department said we can substitute this plug for the original but there was no reason to go to another plug, we had plenty of the old ones and you can clearly see this new plug is not a vapor proof plug and structural strength on the strain relief is less in regard to vibration. Also, now we have 2 each different type cannon plugs on our B737-400, 4 each different pins and our illustrated parts catalogs have no revisions to reflect these changes. These harnesses are being manufactured under the air carrier X maintenance policies sections XXX-yy page a-g and the main cannon plug approved on air carrier X dwg abc is C/cdef part number ms3459kt28-11PX. To wrap it up, they put a B737-200/300 plug on a B737-400 and these plugs have different physical design specifications and I feel we've downgraded and altered the quality of this main APU cannon plug.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A TECHNICIAN RPTS 2 DIFFERENT TYPE ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS ARE BEING INSTALLED ON THE B737-400 APU WITHOUT APPROVAL DOCUMENTATION.
Narrative: WHEN WORKING A B737-400 APU STRIP HARNESS THERE WAS AN ACR X JOB CARD CHANGE APR/THU/01 JOB CARD #ABC A REVISION TO CHANGE THE MAIN CANNON PLUG FROM PART NUMBER MS3459KT28-11PX TO PART NUMBER F2H6KE28-11PX. OUR ENGINEERING DEPT SAID WE CAN SUBSTITUTE THIS PLUG FOR THE ORIGINAL BUT THERE WAS NO REASON TO GO TO ANOTHER PLUG, WE HAD PLENTY OF THE OLD ONES AND YOU CAN CLRLY SEE THIS NEW PLUG IS NOT A VAPOR PROOF PLUG AND STRUCTURAL STRENGTH ON THE STRAIN RELIEF IS LESS IN REGARD TO VIBRATION. ALSO, NOW WE HAVE 2 EACH DIFFERENT TYPE CANNON PLUGS ON OUR B737-400, 4 EACH DIFFERENT PINS AND OUR ILLUSTRATED PARTS CATALOGS HAVE NO REVISIONS TO REFLECT THESE CHANGES. THESE HARNESSES ARE BEING MANUFACTURED UNDER THE ACR X MAINT POLICIES SECTIONS XXX-YY PAGE A-G AND THE MAIN CANNON PLUG APPROVED ON ACR X DWG ABC IS C/CDEF PART NUMBER MS3459KT28-11PX. TO WRAP IT UP, THEY PUT A B737-200/300 PLUG ON A B737-400 AND THESE PLUGS HAVE DIFFERENT PHYSICAL DESIGN SPECS AND I FEEL WE'VE DOWNGRADED AND ALTERED THE QUALITY OF THIS MAIN APU CANNON PLUG.
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.