Narrative:

An aircraft came to our terminal with nose tire vibration. I went to help the mechanic assigned to the aircraft. There were three of us on the job. While I prepared the aircraft for the job, the other two mechanics went to get the equipment and handpicked the tires. Unfortunately, one or both mechanics handpicked the wrong tires, an easy mistake to make, but unusual. I installed #1 tire and the other mechanic installed #2 tire. I signed the log book, and so I take full responsibility for not catching the mistake. The tires are stored near each shop by a gate resting against the building. The tires are also stenciled on the sidewall tire and also stenciled on the building wall where they are stored. Also, the B737-300/500 tires come with a protective cover, color coded yellow to distinguish them from B737-700/800 tires. The mistake was discovered on saturday. I became aware of the mistake through my peers on monday. Management notified me of the mistake on wednesday. I think if you modify the B737-300/500 wheel so that it can not be installed accidentally on a B737-700/800 aircraft, would prevent future mistakes. Also, the part should be classified as a rotable part, so that it must be ordered through the computer's system. At this time, tires are just handpicked and ordering the right part number is not necessary.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 WAS DISPATCHED IN NONCOMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT NOSE LNDG GEAR TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLIES INSTALLED. B737-300 WHEELS INSTALLED.

Narrative: AN ACFT CAME TO OUR TERMINAL WITH NOSE TIRE VIBRATION. I WENT TO HELP THE MECH ASSIGNED TO THE ACFT. THERE WERE THREE OF US ON THE JOB. WHILE I PREPARED THE ACFT FOR THE JOB, THE OTHER TWO MECHS WENT TO GET THE EQUIP AND HANDPICKED THE TIRES. UNFORTUNATELY, ONE OR BOTH MECHS HANDPICKED THE WRONG TIRES, AN EASY MISTAKE TO MAKE, BUT UNUSUAL. I INSTALLED #1 TIRE AND THE OTHER MECH INSTALLED #2 TIRE. I SIGNED THE LOG BOOK, AND SO I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR NOT CATCHING THE MISTAKE. THE TIRES ARE STORED NEAR EACH SHOP BY A GATE RESTING AGAINST THE BUILDING. THE TIRES ARE ALSO STENCILED ON THE SIDEWALL TIRE AND ALSO STENCILED ON THE BUILDING WALL WHERE THEY ARE STORED. ALSO, THE B737-300/500 TIRES COME WITH A PROTECTIVE COVER, COLOR CODED YELLOW TO DISTINGUISH THEM FROM B737-700/800 TIRES. THE MISTAKE WAS DISCOVERED ON SATURDAY. I BECAME AWARE OF THE MISTAKE THROUGH MY PEERS ON MONDAY. MGMNT NOTIFIED ME OF THE MISTAKE ON WEDNESDAY. I THINK IF YOU MODIFY THE B737-300/500 WHEEL SO THAT IT CAN NOT BE INSTALLED ACCIDENTALLY ON A B737-700/800 ACFT, WOULD PREVENT FUTURE MISTAKES. ALSO, THE PART SHOULD BE CLASSIFIED AS A ROTABLE PART, SO THAT IT MUST BE ORDERED THROUGH THE COMPUTER'S SYS. AT THIS TIME, TIRES ARE JUST HANDPICKED AND ORDERING THE RIGHT PART NUMBER IS NOT NECESSARY.

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.