Narrative:

Aircraft was departing on flight with a scheduled departure time of XA35. At XA30 with doors closed, we were called back to the aircraft for a flight control system status message. We asked for the jetway to be put back on and the MEL was checked and verified the item was a no-go. When I entered the flight deck and checked, I found maintenance message active. I tried the test that was shown while my colleague printed out the information. The test failed and I tried replacing per manual and retested and failed. I then removed right inboard flaperon cannon plug per manual and found it dirty. I cleaned and reinstalled the plug, reinstalled original and retested the system and it passed. After my colleague had cleared the item, I released the aircraft and it departed at approximately XC00. On my way to work the next morning, I suddenly realized that the cannon plug should have been inspected. I got to work and verified on the computer that this was the case and went over to our maintenance controller. I asked the controller if he could enter a request to have an inspection accomplished on the plug before any further flight. The aircraft was still at ZZZ1 and a duplicate inspection was accomplished and the item cleared. I should have realized at the time that removing a plug on a flight control PCU required an inspection just as much as it would have been required had the PCU been replaced.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A FLT CTL STATUS MESSAGE CLRED BY CLEANING THE R INBOARD FLAPERON CONNECTOR. REQUIRED FAA INSPECTION NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DEPARTING ON FLT WITH A SCHEDULED DEP TIME OF XA35. AT XA30 WITH DOORS CLOSED, WE WERE CALLED BACK TO THE ACFT FOR A FLT CTL SYS STATUS MESSAGE. WE ASKED FOR THE JETWAY TO BE PUT BACK ON AND THE MEL WAS CHKED AND VERIFIED THE ITEM WAS A NO-GO. WHEN I ENTERED THE FLT DECK AND CHKED, I FOUND MAINT MESSAGE ACTIVE. I TRIED THE TEST THAT WAS SHOWN WHILE MY COLLEAGUE PRINTED OUT THE INFO. THE TEST FAILED AND I TRIED REPLACING PER MANUAL AND RETESTED AND FAILED. I THEN REMOVED R INBOARD FLAPERON CANNON PLUG PER MANUAL AND FOUND IT DIRTY. I CLEANED AND REINSTALLED THE PLUG, REINSTALLED ORIGINAL AND RETESTED THE SYS AND IT PASSED. AFTER MY COLLEAGUE HAD CLRED THE ITEM, I RELEASED THE ACFT AND IT DEPARTED AT APPROX XC00. ON MY WAY TO WORK THE NEXT MORNING, I SUDDENLY REALIZED THAT THE CANNON PLUG SHOULD HAVE BEEN INSPECTED. I GOT TO WORK AND VERIFIED ON THE COMPUTER THAT THIS WAS THE CASE AND WENT OVER TO OUR MAINT CTLR. I ASKED THE CTLR IF HE COULD ENTER A REQUEST TO HAVE AN INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHED ON THE PLUG BEFORE ANY FURTHER FLT. THE ACFT WAS STILL AT ZZZ1 AND A DUPLICATE INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED AND THE ITEM CLRED. I SHOULD HAVE REALIZED AT THE TIME THAT REMOVING A PLUG ON A FLT CTL PCU REQUIRED AN INSPECTION JUST AS MUCH AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REQUIRED HAD THE PCU BEEN REPLACED.

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.