Narrative:

On apr/tue/05; I performed an exterior inspection on MD88 at ZZZ. I found 2 exterior placards missing. These placards were part of the operating instructions for the emergency exit/tail cone. According to the maintenance manual; these placards are 'markings required by government regulations.' the missing placards were: 1) for tail cone jettison; and 2) push door pull handle. I notified maintenance control by phone at approximately XA45. The maintenance control person requested that ZZZ operations call the contract maintenance provider and said that he would facsimile a sheet of placards for the contract maintenance worker to install. Operations provided me with a copy of the facsimile: 2 pages were copies of the MD88 maintenance manual; page 11-14-01-001; which includes an illustration of the area from which the placards were missing. The advised corrective action was to cut out this small box and tape it to the aircraft in the area of the missing placards. This area on the aircraft is about 9 ft off the ground. The writing in the illustration on the maintenance manual page is barely legible beyond about 4 ft; and certainly not legible from the ground with the aircraft sitting on the ramp. The contract maintenance person; mr X of air carrier Y; with the assistance of the station's personnel; made up 2 similar sized (slightly smaller) placards with the proper verbiage. They affixed these placards to the aircraft with some 3 millimeter mylar tape. It is unclr to me that either of the solutions; the first suggested by maintenance control and the second put into effect by the site personnel; was adequate. I proceeded with the flight as instructed.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 WAS MISSING REQUIRED EXTERIOR TAIL CONE JETTISON AND DOOR HANDLE PLACARDS. INTERIM PLACARDS TAPED ON ACFT. RPTR BELIEVES INTERIM PLACARDS INADEQUATE.

Narrative: ON APR/TUE/05; I PERFORMED AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION ON MD88 AT ZZZ. I FOUND 2 EXTERIOR PLACARDS MISSING. THESE PLACARDS WERE PART OF THE OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE EMER EXIT/TAIL CONE. ACCORDING TO THE MAINT MANUAL; THESE PLACARDS ARE 'MARKINGS REQUIRED BY GOV REGS.' THE MISSING PLACARDS WERE: 1) FOR TAIL CONE JETTISON; AND 2) PUSH DOOR PULL HANDLE. I NOTIFIED MAINT CTL BY PHONE AT APPROX XA45. THE MAINT CTL PERSON REQUESTED THAT ZZZ OPS CALL THE CONTRACT MAINT PROVIDER AND SAID THAT HE WOULD FAX A SHEET OF PLACARDS FOR THE CONTRACT MAINT WORKER TO INSTALL. OPS PROVIDED ME WITH A COPY OF THE FAX: 2 PAGES WERE COPIES OF THE MD88 MAINT MANUAL; PAGE 11-14-01-001; WHICH INCLUDES AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE AREA FROM WHICH THE PLACARDS WERE MISSING. THE ADVISED CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TO CUT OUT THIS SMALL BOX AND TAPE IT TO THE ACFT IN THE AREA OF THE MISSING PLACARDS. THIS AREA ON THE ACFT IS ABOUT 9 FT OFF THE GND. THE WRITING IN THE ILLUSTRATION ON THE MAINT MANUAL PAGE IS BARELY LEGIBLE BEYOND ABOUT 4 FT; AND CERTAINLY NOT LEGIBLE FROM THE GND WITH THE ACFT SITTING ON THE RAMP. THE CONTRACT MAINT PERSON; MR X OF ACR Y; WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF THE STATION'S PERSONNEL; MADE UP 2 SIMILAR SIZED (SLIGHTLY SMALLER) PLACARDS WITH THE PROPER VERBIAGE. THEY AFFIXED THESE PLACARDS TO THE ACFT WITH SOME 3 MILLIMETER MYLAR TAPE. IT IS UNCLR TO ME THAT EITHER OF THE SOLUTIONS; THE FIRST SUGGESTED BY MAINT CTL AND THE SECOND PUT INTO EFFECT BY THE SITE PERSONNEL; WAS ADEQUATE. I PROCEEDED WITH THE FLT AS INSTRUCTED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.