A B757-200 was dispatched in non compliance with the incorrect APU battery installed.

Attributes
ACN	634629
Time
Date	200409
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
Experience	maintenance technician : 7
ASRS Report	634629
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : lead technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : installation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

After clearing the deferrals for the APU battery charger using the appropriate fault isolation manual reference, I was instructed by my supervisor and maintenance control to proceed with a battery change which I argued as being unnecessary, being that the battery charger I had installed had fixed the problem and the aircraft was scheduled to depart in approximately 1 hour. The lead man had picked the parts and when they were brought down by the store's personnel, they accidentally brought the wrong battery, and we were unaware of the mistake. The batteries looked the same and all hook-ups and mounting bolts matched, the part numbers were not easily identifiable. The lead man was helping me by filling out the paperwork and I thought he was checking the parts information to make sure the part was good. The supervisor did not take a proactive approach after being informed of the problem and the fact that the aircraft had just pushed back. He delayed calling the aircraft and did not inform them of the pending situation. He never contacted the aircraft, and the aircraft departed.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT APU BATTERY INSTALLED.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING THE DEFERRALS FOR THE APU BATTERY CHARGER USING THE APPROPRIATE FAULT ISOLATION MANUAL REF, I WAS INSTRUCTED BY MY SUPVR AND MAINT CTL TO PROCEED WITH A BATTERY CHANGE WHICH I ARGUED AS BEING UNNECESSARY, BEING THAT THE BATTERY CHARGER I HAD INSTALLED HAD FIXED THE PROB AND THE ACFT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART IN APPROX 1 HR. THE LEAD MAN HAD PICKED THE PARTS AND WHEN THEY WERE BROUGHT DOWN BY THE STORE'S PERSONNEL, THEY ACCIDENTALLY BROUGHT THE WRONG BATTERY, AND WE WERE UNAWARE OF THE MISTAKE. THE BATTERIES LOOKED THE SAME AND ALL HOOK-UPS AND MOUNTING BOLTS MATCHED, THE PART NUMBERS WERE NOT EASILY IDENTIFIABLE. THE LEAD MAN WAS HELPING ME BY FILLING OUT THE PAPERWORK AND I THOUGHT HE WAS CHKING THE PARTS INFO TO MAKE SURE THE PART WAS GOOD. THE SUPVR DID NOT TAKE A PROACTIVE APCH AFTER BEING INFORMED OF THE PROB AND THE FACT THAT THE ACFT HAD JUST PUSHED BACK. HE DELAYED CALLING THE ACFT AND DID NOT INFORM THEM OF THE PENDING SIT. HE NEVER CONTACTED THE ACFT, AND THE ACFT DEPARTED.

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.