Narrative:

It was brought to my attention on oct/fri/04, by my qc foreman that a batch of cabin window inner panes, approximately 40 each that I tagged during my routine receiving inspection was found to have a DC9 aircraft cabin inner pane in one of the boxes by the installing mechanic on the aircraft. The bottom line question arises, why did I put a serviceable tag on a DC9 aircraft part and allow this part to get into stores? The answer is that we get bulk orders on some parts, such as cabin windows, seat belts, hydrolocks, kits, filter, etc, which can range from a quantity of 1 to 500+ each. I inspected these tracking level 1 parts by checking the part number on at least 2 parts in every box in a bulk order. The only way something like this can ever be humanly prevented is to open every box of any bulk order or for example: unfold hundreds of seat belts to check their part number labels and refold them again before tagging which would take one guy hours to accomplish. This would prove to be very impractical. However if the FAA wants it done this way it's your call and would have to be just part of the job.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN INSPECTOR RPTS DIFFICULTY WHEN INSPECTING RECEIVED PARTS FOR CORRECT PART NUMBER AND CONDITION WHEN IN BULK ORDERS. PARTS RECEIVED CAN RANGE FROM 1 TO 500 UNITS. DC9 INNER WINDOW FOUND IN BOX OF 40 B737 INNER PANES.

Narrative: IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN ON OCT/FRI/04, BY MY QC FOREMAN THAT A BATCH OF CABIN WINDOW INNER PANES, APPROX 40 EACH THAT I TAGGED DURING MY ROUTINE RECEIVING INSPECTION WAS FOUND TO HAVE A DC9 ACFT CABIN INNER PANE IN ONE OF THE BOXES BY THE INSTALLING MECH ON THE ACFT. THE BOTTOM LINE QUESTION ARISES, WHY DID I PUT A SERVICEABLE TAG ON A DC9 ACFT PART AND ALLOW THIS PART TO GET INTO STORES? THE ANSWER IS THAT WE GET BULK ORDERS ON SOME PARTS, SUCH AS CABIN WINDOWS, SEAT BELTS, HYDROLOCKS, KITS, FILTER, ETC, WHICH CAN RANGE FROM A QUANTITY OF 1 TO 500+ EACH. I INSPECTED THESE TRACKING LEVEL 1 PARTS BY CHKING THE PART NUMBER ON AT LEAST 2 PARTS IN EVERY BOX IN A BULK ORDER. THE ONLY WAY SOMETHING LIKE THIS CAN EVER BE HUMANLY PREVENTED IS TO OPEN EVERY BOX OF ANY BULK ORDER OR FOR EXAMPLE: UNFOLD HUNDREDS OF SEAT BELTS TO CHK THEIR PART NUMBER LABELS AND REFOLD THEM AGAIN BEFORE TAGGING WHICH WOULD TAKE ONE GUY HRS TO ACCOMPLISH. THIS WOULD PROVE TO BE VERY IMPRACTICAL. HOWEVER IF THE FAA WANTS IT DONE THIS WAY IT'S YOUR CALL AND WOULD HAVE TO BE JUST PART OF 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.