An ATR72 first officer on a preflight check noted the captain's angle of attack probe was not only installed incorrectly but also the wrong type probe.

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Attributes
ACN	697271
Time
Date	200605
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sanu.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : rno.tower
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	ATR 72
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	697271
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper documentation maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : aoa indication other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

I was completing my normal preflight when I noticed the captain's angle of attack probe appeared to be installed incorrectly; and also appeared to be of a different type. I compared it to the first officer's angle of attack probe and that appeared to be the normal probes I have always observed. A maintenance technician was onboard clearing a write-up and I queried him on the matter. He called maintenance and later informed me that part numbers did not match; requiring the angle of attack probes to be replaced. Maintenance did take care of this and replaced the probe. Our concern is why was such an important part so improperly installed when it was obvious; solely by looking at the probe; it was probably incorrect. We also went into the records of the maintenance log to try and determine when the probe was changed and how long the aircraft had been flying this way; but no entries proved to provide any evidence of this.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR72 FO ON A PREFLT CHK NOTED THE CAPT'S ANGLE OF ATTACK PROBE WAS NOT ONLY INSTALLED INCORRECTLY BUT ALSO THE WRONG TYPE PROBE.

Narrative: I WAS COMPLETING MY NORMAL PREFLT WHEN I NOTICED THE CAPT'S ANGLE OF ATTACK PROBE APPEARED TO BE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY; AND ALSO APPEARED TO BE OF A DIFFERENT TYPE. I COMPARED IT TO THE FO'S ANGLE OF ATTACK PROBE AND THAT APPEARED TO BE THE NORMAL PROBES I HAVE ALWAYS OBSERVED. A MAINT TECHNICIAN WAS ONBOARD CLRING A WRITE-UP AND I QUERIED HIM ON THE MATTER. HE CALLED MAINT AND LATER INFORMED ME THAT PART NUMBERS DID NOT MATCH; REQUIRING THE ANGLE OF ATTACK PROBES TO BE REPLACED. MAINT DID TAKE CARE OF THIS AND REPLACED THE PROBE. OUR CONCERN IS WHY WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PART SO IMPROPERLY INSTALLED WHEN IT WAS OBVIOUS; SOLELY BY LOOKING AT THE PROBE; IT WAS PROBABLY INCORRECT. WE ALSO WENT INTO THE RECORDS OF THE MAINT LOG TO TRY AND DETERMINE WHEN THE PROBE WAS CHANGED AND HOW LONG THE ACFT HAD BEEN FLYING THIS WAY; BUT NO ENTRIES PROVED TO PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE OF THIS.

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.