Narrative:

Maintenance control was notified of discrepancies involving the left hand aileron, control and trim tabs on aircraft. Notification was given prior to pushback from the gate for flight. I was informed that the aircraft would be called back to gate after it pushed. It never showed up. I found out later they (maintenance) decided it was all right to allow the aircraft to continue on to destination. Engineering authorization requires the control surfaces to be rebalanced within 50 flight hours. 69 hours had elapsed since the order was issued. MD80 manual clearly states the maximum amount of speed tape that may be applied is 8 sq in per control surface. The trim tab has 13.5 sq in, control tab 15.75 sq in, the aileron has 20 sq in. Log pages all state as of fri/oct/04, no tape will be installed and engineering authorization states address subject area per manual within 50 flight hours (flight control surface balance). The foreman on duty advised maintenance to remove aircraft from service until such time that the paperwork discrepancies and rebalance or replacement of discrepant control surfaces could be accomplished. Am I right in my understanding that maintenance and engineering can arbitrarily override the published aircraft manuals? Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the interim repair was not in compliance with repair manual limits on all three surfaces and the airplane had flown 19 hours over the engineering authorization time limit. The reporter said the airplane was taken out of service and all left aileron control surfaces replaced.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: REPORTEDLY AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN CONTRAST TO AN ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION AND REPAIR MANUAL REQUIREMENTS FOR AN INTERIM REPAIR.

Narrative: MAINT CTL WAS NOTIFIED OF DISCREPANCIES INVOLVING THE LEFT HAND AILERON, CONTROL AND TRIM TABS ON ACFT. NOTIFICATION WAS GIVEN PRIOR TO PUSHBACK FROM THE GATE FOR FLT. I WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACFT WOULD BE CALLED BACK TO GATE AFTER IT PUSHED. IT NEVER SHOWED UP. I FOUND OUT LATER THEY (MAINT) DECIDED IT WAS ALL RIGHT TO ALLOW THE ACFT TO CONTINUE ON TO DEST. ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION REQUIRES THE CTL SURFACES TO BE REBALANCED WITHIN 50 FLT HOURS. 69 HOURS HAD ELAPSED SINCE THE ORDER WAS ISSUED. MD80 MANUAL CLEARLY STATES THE MAX AMOUNT OF SPEED TAPE THAT MAY BE APPLIED IS 8 SQ IN PER CTL SURFACE. THE TRIM TAB HAS 13.5 SQ IN, CTL TAB 15.75 SQ IN, THE AILERON HAS 20 SQ IN. LOG PAGES ALL STATE AS OF FRI/OCT/04, NO TAPE WILL BE INSTALLED AND ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION STATES ADDRESS SUBJECT AREA PER MANUAL WITHIN 50 FLT HOURS (FLT CTL SURFACE BALANCE). THE FOREMAN ON DUTY ADVISED MAINT TO REMOVE ACFT FROM SERVICE UNTIL SUCH TIME THAT THE PAPERWORK DISCREPANCIES AND REBALANCE OR REPLACEMENT OF DISCREPANT CTL SURFACES COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED. AM I RIGHT IN MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MAINT AND ENGINEERING CAN ARBITRARILY OVERRIDE THE PUBLISHED ACFT MANUALS? CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE INTERIM REPAIR WAS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH REPAIR MANUAL LIMITS ON ALL THREE SURFACES AND THE AIRPLANE HAD FLOWN 19 HOURS OVER THE ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION TIME LIMIT. THE RPTR SAID THE AIRPLANE WAS TAKEN OUT OF SERVICE AND ALL LEFT AILERON CTL SURFACES 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.