Narrative:

On the morning of jan/fri/06; my supervisor instructed me that a kit was going to be placed on aircraft X by company parts department. Our procedures at that time were to issue a carry-over number for the installation of the kit after company parts department was through loading it on board. These kits can range from a couple hundred pounds to a couple thousand pounds. When company parts department was finished loading the kit on board; they would give us mechanics a signed sheet of paper with the weights and locations. Never before have we been there to witness the weights and the install of the kits because we have to work on other aircraft at the hub. Most of the time; when we get back to the aircraft; the cargo pits which contain the kit has been loaded; or is being loaded with freight. This makes it even harder to verify the kit. On that night; I issued a carry-over number for aircraft X; late in the night. The aircraft was loaded and ready to go. I filled out my paperwork; under which a sheet of paper goes back to company parts department; with the carry-over number. Company parts department then informed my supervisor that they had mistakenly installed the kit on the wrong aircraft (Y) which had already departed with some 2000 pounds of kits in 'C' pit; and aircraft X was now taxiing. The crew on aircraft Y was now flying an aircraft with some 2000 pounds in 'C' pit that they did not know about. Aircraft X crew was now taxiing an aircraft which was 2000 pounds lighter than they thought. Aircraft X could have been called back to the blocks via radio; but maintenance control said no; not to take a delay. Now 2 aircraft are flying illegally. Is this whole process wrong? Yes. As an experienced a&P; I should have triplechked company parts department's work; but that is hard to do while working on another aircraft. Now that both aircraft have departed ZZZ hub and arrived safely at their final stops; the whole mess can be sorted out. The mechanics in ZZZ1 write a carry-over for the kit on aircraft Y as being installed. The mechanics in ZZZ2 now clear the carry-over I wrote on aircraft X as never installed in ZZZ.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: 2 DC8 FREIGHTERS WERE DISPATCHED WITH INCORRECT WT MANIFESTS.

Narrative: ON THE MORNING OF JAN/FRI/06; MY SUPVR INSTRUCTED ME THAT A KIT WAS GOING TO BE PLACED ON ACFT X BY COMPANY PARTS DEPT. OUR PROCS AT THAT TIME WERE TO ISSUE A CARRY-OVER NUMBER FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE KIT AFTER COMPANY PARTS DEPT WAS THROUGH LOADING IT ON BOARD. THESE KITS CAN RANGE FROM A COUPLE HUNDRED LBS TO A COUPLE THOUSAND LBS. WHEN COMPANY PARTS DEPT WAS FINISHED LOADING THE KIT ON BOARD; THEY WOULD GIVE US MECHS A SIGNED SHEET OF PAPER WITH THE WTS AND LOCATIONS. NEVER BEFORE HAVE WE BEEN THERE TO WITNESS THE WTS AND THE INSTALL OF THE KITS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO WORK ON OTHER ACFT AT THE HUB. MOST OF THE TIME; WHEN WE GET BACK TO THE ACFT; THE CARGO PITS WHICH CONTAIN THE KIT HAS BEEN LOADED; OR IS BEING LOADED WITH FREIGHT. THIS MAKES IT EVEN HARDER TO VERIFY THE KIT. ON THAT NIGHT; I ISSUED A CARRY-OVER NUMBER FOR ACFT X; LATE IN THE NIGHT. THE ACFT WAS LOADED AND READY TO GO. I FILLED OUT MY PAPERWORK; UNDER WHICH A SHEET OF PAPER GOES BACK TO COMPANY PARTS DEPT; WITH THE CARRY-OVER NUMBER. COMPANY PARTS DEPT THEN INFORMED MY SUPVR THAT THEY HAD MISTAKENLY INSTALLED THE KIT ON THE WRONG ACFT (Y) WHICH HAD ALREADY DEPARTED WITH SOME 2000 LBS OF KITS IN 'C' PIT; AND ACFT X WAS NOW TAXIING. THE CREW ON ACFT Y WAS NOW FLYING AN ACFT WITH SOME 2000 LBS IN 'C' PIT THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW ABOUT. ACFT X CREW WAS NOW TAXIING AN ACFT WHICH WAS 2000 LBS LIGHTER THAN THEY THOUGHT. ACFT X COULD HAVE BEEN CALLED BACK TO THE BLOCKS VIA RADIO; BUT MAINT CTL SAID NO; NOT TO TAKE A DELAY. NOW 2 ACFT ARE FLYING ILLEGALLY. IS THIS WHOLE PROCESS WRONG? YES. AS AN EXPERIENCED A&P; I SHOULD HAVE TRIPLECHKED COMPANY PARTS DEPT'S WORK; BUT THAT IS HARD TO DO WHILE WORKING ON ANOTHER ACFT. NOW THAT BOTH ACFT HAVE DEPARTED ZZZ HUB AND ARRIVED SAFELY AT THEIR FINAL STOPS; THE WHOLE MESS CAN BE SORTED OUT. THE MECHS IN ZZZ1 WRITE A CARRY-OVER FOR THE KIT ON ACFT Y AS BEING INSTALLED. THE MECHS IN ZZZ2 NOW CLR THE CARRY-OVER I WROTE ON ACFT X AS NEVER INSTALLED IN ZZZ.

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.