Narrative:

At the beginning of my shift; my lead told me to go out to aircraft because the first officer had written up the r-hand flap idler hinge bolt missing sealant. He also gave me a copy of the log page and a copy of engineering authority/authorized. The log page showed a re-inspect long-term deferral for bolt rotation at next 'a' check; with 1 re-inspect signed off with no rotation. Looking at the engineering authority/authorized; page 2; steps 7 and 8; both my lead and I thought that you could not only defer the bolt sealant; but that it was optional whether you installed it at all. I went to the aircraft; talked to the crew and signed off the log page generated by the first officer; as previously deferred. After returning to the office; we continued looking at the paperwork and realized the engineering authority/authorized called for 2 deferrals if the sealant was not originally installed; one to apply sealant within 50 hours and one to re-inspect the bolt for rotation at 'a' check. The original technician had not completed the paperwork properly; and we misread it. By the time we figured this out; the plane had departed. At this point; there is no long-term deferral on the aircraft for sealant installation and it is over 50 hours since the generating log page was signed off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 HAD A LONG-TERM DEFERRAL ON THE R FLAP IDLER HINGE BOLT ROTATION CHK. NEEDED ANOTHER DEFERRED ITEM FOR 50 HR SEALANT REPLACEMENT IF FOUND MISSING.

Narrative: AT THE BEGINNING OF MY SHIFT; MY LEAD TOLD ME TO GO OUT TO ACFT BECAUSE THE FO HAD WRITTEN UP THE R-HAND FLAP IDLER HINGE BOLT MISSING SEALANT. HE ALSO GAVE ME A COPY OF THE LOG PAGE AND A COPY OF ENGINEERING AUTH. THE LOG PAGE SHOWED A RE-INSPECT LONG-TERM DEFERRAL FOR BOLT ROTATION AT NEXT 'A' CHK; WITH 1 RE-INSPECT SIGNED OFF WITH NO ROTATION. LOOKING AT THE ENGINEERING AUTH; PAGE 2; STEPS 7 AND 8; BOTH MY LEAD AND I THOUGHT THAT YOU COULD NOT ONLY DEFER THE BOLT SEALANT; BUT THAT IT WAS OPTIONAL WHETHER YOU INSTALLED IT AT ALL. I WENT TO THE ACFT; TALKED TO THE CREW AND SIGNED OFF THE LOG PAGE GENERATED BY THE FO; AS PREVIOUSLY DEFERRED. AFTER RETURNING TO THE OFFICE; WE CONTINUED LOOKING AT THE PAPERWORK AND REALIZED THE ENGINEERING AUTH CALLED FOR 2 DEFERRALS IF THE SEALANT WAS NOT ORIGINALLY INSTALLED; ONE TO APPLY SEALANT WITHIN 50 HRS AND ONE TO RE-INSPECT THE BOLT FOR ROTATION AT 'A' CHK. THE ORIGINAL TECHNICIAN HAD NOT COMPLETED THE PAPERWORK PROPERLY; AND WE MISREAD IT. BY THE TIME WE FIGURED THIS OUT; THE PLANE HAD DEPARTED. AT THIS POINT; THERE IS NO LONG-TERM DEFERRAL ON THE ACFT FOR SEALANT INSTALLATION AND IT IS OVER 50 HRS SINCE THE GENERATING LOG PAGE WAS SIGNED OFF.

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.