Narrative:

I was assigned to the B727 and 2 B737 winglet modifications. We were trying to get the B727 ready for departure in the morning. 1 mechanic was performing the remaining maintenance and was very busy. It was a busy night for me also because I kept getting called off of the B727 to go inside and buy off some work on the winglet aircraft. The mechanic had svced the engine oil and rushed off to do another job (apparently leaving off the oil cap). Incident #2 -- same aircraft and same engine: company X wanted us to change #3 engine. The engine we were supplied with was nothing more than the core engine. 3 days were spent changing over wire harnesses, oil lines, valves, blank-out plates, the thrust reverser, the nose cowl, the exhaust diffuser and just about anything else you could think of. Once everything was on the engine, I and other inspectors looked it over and bought off the installations. During engine runs, the day shift inspector noticed some loose clamps on a wire bundle and marked them with red tape. He was going home and I was coming in when he told me about them. I told the mechanic to tighten all of the clamps that were marked. No mention was made of other clamps possibly being loose. To make matters worse, maintenance was having difficulty closing the engine cowls. I hopped up on the stand to help. After awhile, I determined that something was wrong and had maintenance propeller open the engine cowls. After looking around, I noticed day shift had left the upper and lower vibe sensors attached to the engine (day shift had been doing an engine vibe test). After the sensors were removed, we finally got the engine cowl closed. The mechanic I had been working with all night went off to do something else and I went inside to check on the other 2 aircraft I was working.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN ENG OIL FILLER CAP MISSING.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO THE B727 AND 2 B737 WINGLET MODIFICATIONS. WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE B727 READY FOR DEP IN THE MORNING. 1 MECH WAS PERFORMING THE REMAINING MAINT AND WAS VERY BUSY. IT WAS A BUSY NIGHT FOR ME ALSO BECAUSE I KEPT GETTING CALLED OFF OF THE B727 TO GO INSIDE AND BUY OFF SOME WORK ON THE WINGLET ACFT. THE MECH HAD SVCED THE ENG OIL AND RUSHED OFF TO DO ANOTHER JOB (APPARENTLY LEAVING OFF THE OIL CAP). INCIDENT #2 -- SAME ACFT AND SAME ENG: COMPANY X WANTED US TO CHANGE #3 ENG. THE ENG WE WERE SUPPLIED WITH WAS NOTHING MORE THAN THE CORE ENG. 3 DAYS WERE SPENT CHANGING OVER WIRE HARNESSES, OIL LINES, VALVES, BLANK-OUT PLATES, THE THRUST REVERSER, THE NOSE COWL, THE EXHAUST DIFFUSER AND JUST ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE YOU COULD THINK OF. ONCE EVERYTHING WAS ON THE ENG, I AND OTHER INSPECTORS LOOKED IT OVER AND BOUGHT OFF THE INSTALLATIONS. DURING ENG RUNS, THE DAY SHIFT INSPECTOR NOTICED SOME LOOSE CLAMPS ON A WIRE BUNDLE AND MARKED THEM WITH RED TAPE. HE WAS GOING HOME AND I WAS COMING IN WHEN HE TOLD ME ABOUT THEM. I TOLD THE MECH TO TIGHTEN ALL OF THE CLAMPS THAT WERE MARKED. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF OTHER CLAMPS POSSIBLY BEING LOOSE. TO MAKE MATTERS WORSE, MAINT WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY CLOSING THE ENG COWLS. I HOPPED UP ON THE STAND TO HELP. AFTER AWHILE, I DETERMINED THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG AND HAD MAINT PROP OPEN THE ENG COWLS. AFTER LOOKING AROUND, I NOTICED DAY SHIFT HAD LEFT THE UPPER AND LOWER VIBE SENSORS ATTACHED TO THE ENG (DAY SHIFT HAD BEEN DOING AN ENG VIBE TEST). AFTER THE SENSORS WERE REMOVED, WE FINALLY GOT THE ENG COWL CLOSED. THE MECH I HAD BEEN WORKING WITH ALL NIGHT WENT OFF TO DO SOMETHING ELSE AND I WENT INSIDE TO CHK ON THE OTHER 2 ACFT I WAS WORKING.

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.