Narrative:

On oct/fri/03, mr X and I were assigned to work aircraft X. When we looked at the paperwork card, the job was signed off up to step 7 clearance to install, signed by quality assurance. When we started installing the drag brace, we noticed one of the taper pins was corroded. We brought this to the attention of our crew chief, mr. Y. He pulled the part up on the ipc and ordered a taper pin. When we got the pin, we noticed it was different than the corroded pin. We brought this to the attention of supervisor mr Z. We discussed the situation. It was agreed upon to take the corroded bolt to the gear shop to see if we could get a pin. Mr Y and I talked to the technical crew chief of the gear shop. He said that we cannot install just 1 pin. We asked if the shop could make a pin to fit. Mr Y and the technician and I went to talk to the machinist who makes the pins. The machinist looked to see if he had a pin that could be machined down to the size we needed. He did not have a pin to do this. The technician explained that ordering a pin from ipc would not have worked anyway. Due to the fact that the pins are a machined part and are made specifically for each hole, they are all different from each other. Even on the same drag brace, both holes are different. This left us with only one choice -- to change out the whole drag brace assembly. After several hours, the drag brace assembly showed up at stores towards the end of shift. After hearing what the technician had to say about the pins, mr X and I hung the drag brace and put the pins in place so the next shift would not mix them up. The aft shift came in and had a meeting to go to. Mr xy, a crew chief on second shift, asked if I would give him a turnover because the mechanics were in a meeting. Mr xy and I walked over to aircraft where I started to give him a turnover. I told him about the events of the day and explained why the part was hung due to the fact that the pins had to go into the hole they were designed for -- so the mechanics taking over the job would not mix them up, and he agreed. I also showed mr xy where the washers and nuts for the taper pins were so he could show the mechanics doing this job. We also talked about finishing up the job whereas the reason for the nuts and washers were not installed was because the drag brace had to come in and out several times to shim the drag brace assembly. I also stated to him that the l-hand switch was in place, but needed to be checked in step 7C on card. This piece would also come in and out to shim the drag brace. Mr xy was writing notes as we had our discussion, so I assumed he wrote down everything I said. Not only did I give him a verbal turnover, but also a visual turnover. On oct/sun/03, mr xy called me at home. When he called, he asked me to give him the turnover again. After I gave him the turnover, he proceeded to say 'oh, you did tell me about the taper pins.' then he said, 'I guess I'll take the fall.' I then asked what happened and he proceeded to tell me about the aircraft in chicago and the taper pins. We then talked about the mechanics and quality assurance who worked the job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A NOSE GEAR DRAG LINK ASSEMBLY INCORRECTLY INSTALLED. CAUSED BY FAILURE TO FOLLOW SHIFT TURNOVER.

Narrative: ON OCT/FRI/03, MR X AND I WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK ACFT X. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE PAPERWORK CARD, THE JOB WAS SIGNED OFF UP TO STEP 7 CLRNC TO INSTALL, SIGNED BY QUALITY ASSURANCE. WHEN WE STARTED INSTALLING THE DRAG BRACE, WE NOTICED ONE OF THE TAPER PINS WAS CORRODED. WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF OUR CREW CHIEF, MR. Y. HE PULLED THE PART UP ON THE IPC AND ORDERED A TAPER PIN. WHEN WE GOT THE PIN, WE NOTICED IT WAS DIFFERENT THAN THE CORRODED PIN. WE BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF SUPVR MR Z. WE DISCUSSED THE SIT. IT WAS AGREED UPON TO TAKE THE CORRODED BOLT TO THE GEAR SHOP TO SEE IF WE COULD GET A PIN. MR Y AND I TALKED TO THE TECHNICAL CREW CHIEF OF THE GEAR SHOP. HE SAID THAT WE CANNOT INSTALL JUST 1 PIN. WE ASKED IF THE SHOP COULD MAKE A PIN TO FIT. MR Y AND THE TECHNICIAN AND I WENT TO TALK TO THE MACHINIST WHO MAKES THE PINS. THE MACHINIST LOOKED TO SEE IF HE HAD A PIN THAT COULD BE MACHINED DOWN TO THE SIZE WE NEEDED. HE DID NOT HAVE A PIN TO DO THIS. THE TECHNICIAN EXPLAINED THAT ORDERING A PIN FROM IPC WOULD NOT HAVE WORKED ANYWAY. DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PINS ARE A MACHINED PART AND ARE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR EACH HOLE, THEY ARE ALL DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER. EVEN ON THE SAME DRAG BRACE, BOTH HOLES ARE DIFFERENT. THIS LEFT US WITH ONLY ONE CHOICE -- TO CHANGE OUT THE WHOLE DRAG BRACE ASSEMBLY. AFTER SEVERAL HRS, THE DRAG BRACE ASSEMBLY SHOWED UP AT STORES TOWARDS THE END OF SHIFT. AFTER HEARING WHAT THE TECHNICIAN HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE PINS, MR X AND I HUNG THE DRAG BRACE AND PUT THE PINS IN PLACE SO THE NEXT SHIFT WOULD NOT MIX THEM UP. THE AFT SHIFT CAME IN AND HAD A MEETING TO GO TO. MR XY, A CREW CHIEF ON SECOND SHIFT, ASKED IF I WOULD GIVE HIM A TURNOVER BECAUSE THE MECHS WERE IN A MEETING. MR XY AND I WALKED OVER TO ACFT WHERE I STARTED TO GIVE HIM A TURNOVER. I TOLD HIM ABOUT THE EVENTS OF THE DAY AND EXPLAINED WHY THE PART WAS HUNG DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE PINS HAD TO GO INTO THE HOLE THEY WERE DESIGNED FOR -- SO THE MECHS TAKING OVER THE JOB WOULD NOT MIX THEM UP, AND HE AGREED. I ALSO SHOWED MR XY WHERE THE WASHERS AND NUTS FOR THE TAPER PINS WERE SO HE COULD SHOW THE MECHS DOING THIS JOB. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT FINISHING UP THE JOB WHEREAS THE REASON FOR THE NUTS AND WASHERS WERE NOT INSTALLED WAS BECAUSE THE DRAG BRACE HAD TO COME IN AND OUT SEVERAL TIMES TO SHIM THE DRAG BRACE ASSEMBLY. I ALSO STATED TO HIM THAT THE L-HAND SWITCH WAS IN PLACE, BUT NEEDED TO BE CHKED IN STEP 7C ON CARD. THIS PIECE WOULD ALSO COME IN AND OUT TO SHIM THE DRAG BRACE. MR XY WAS WRITING NOTES AS WE HAD OUR DISCUSSION, SO I ASSUMED HE WROTE DOWN EVERYTHING I SAID. NOT ONLY DID I GIVE HIM A VERBAL TURNOVER, BUT ALSO A VISUAL TURNOVER. ON OCT/SUN/03, MR XY CALLED ME AT HOME. WHEN HE CALLED, HE ASKED ME TO GIVE HIM THE TURNOVER AGAIN. AFTER I GAVE HIM THE TURNOVER, HE PROCEEDED TO SAY 'OH, YOU DID TELL ME ABOUT THE TAPER PINS.' THEN HE SAID, 'I GUESS I'LL TAKE THE FALL.' I THEN ASKED WHAT HAPPENED AND HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME ABOUT THE ACFT IN CHICAGO AND THE TAPER PINS. WE THEN TALKED ABOUT THE MECHS AND QUALITY ASSURANCE WHO WORKED THE JOB.

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.