Narrative:

Apparently the placard which the 'a' check calls for might never have been installed in the 'C' check which was accomplished. When I performed my inspection of the lavatories and associated equipment; I began in the rear and worked my way forward. I believed that I saw the placard in question. As I checked the aft lavatories first; I didn't notice anything that stood out as missing or out of place. Several days later; aircraft X was in ZZZ for a scheduled 'a' check. I was assigned part of the interior check of the scheduled check. I performed my part of the check to the best of my ability and signed off the work I accomplished. Investigation of a letter of concern for air carrier Y which could have been flying with missing placards started a check of several aircraft for missing placards. Further investigation found several aircraft with missing placards. One of which was air carrier Y which was missing only the forward lavatory placard. The placard was installed at a station that stocked the placard. ZZZ is not one of those stations. Unfortunately this is one of those situations with more than one weak link. While working different aircraft types we are to familiarize ourselves with different placards stating the same information applied in different locations; for example on a B757 aircraft the 'do not tamper with smoke detectors' placard is located in proximity to the smoke detector; in the aft lavatories; and not associated with cleaning the basin. When looking in the required placard manual table of contents for this particular placard; no mention of smoke detector is given. This is not to deter from the fact that the missing placard should have been noticed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 AFTER AN 'A' CHK WAS COMPLETED AND RETURNED TO SVC THE AIRPLANE WAS FOUND TO BE MISSING A REQUIRED SMOKE DETECTOR TAMPER PLACARD.

Narrative: APPARENTLY THE PLACARD WHICH THE 'A' CHK CALLS FOR MIGHT NEVER HAVE BEEN INSTALLED IN THE 'C' CHK WHICH WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WHEN I PERFORMED MY INSPECTION OF THE LAVATORIES AND ASSOCIATED EQUIP; I BEGAN IN THE REAR AND WORKED MY WAY FORWARD. I BELIEVED THAT I SAW THE PLACARD IN QUESTION. AS I CHKED THE AFT LAVATORIES FIRST; I DIDN'T NOTICE ANYTHING THAT STOOD OUT AS MISSING OR OUT OF PLACE. SEVERAL DAYS LATER; ACFT X WAS IN ZZZ FOR A SCHEDULED 'A' CHK. I WAS ASSIGNED PART OF THE INTERIOR CHK OF THE SCHEDULED CHK. I PERFORMED MY PART OF THE CHK TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY AND SIGNED OFF THE WORK I ACCOMPLISHED. INVESTIGATION OF A LETTER OF CONCERN FOR ACR Y WHICH COULD HAVE BEEN FLYING WITH MISSING PLACARDS STARTED A CHK OF SEVERAL ACFT FOR MISSING PLACARDS. FURTHER INVESTIGATION FOUND SEVERAL ACFT WITH MISSING PLACARDS. ONE OF WHICH WAS ACR Y WHICH WAS MISSING ONLY THE FORWARD LAVATORY PLACARD. THE PLACARD WAS INSTALLED AT A STATION THAT STOCKED THE PLACARD. ZZZ IS NOT ONE OF THOSE STATIONS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS IS ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WITH MORE THAN ONE WEAK LINK. WHILE WORKING DIFFERENT ACFT TYPES WE ARE TO FAMILIARIZE OURSELVES WITH DIFFERENT PLACARDS STATING THE SAME INFO APPLIED IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS; FOR EXAMPLE ON A B757 ACFT THE 'DO NOT TAMPER WITH SMOKE DETECTORS' PLACARD IS LOCATED IN PROX TO THE SMOKE DETECTOR; IN THE AFT LAVATORIES; AND NOT ASSOCIATED WITH CLEANING THE BASIN. WHEN LOOKING IN THE REQUIRED PLACARD MANUAL TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS PARTICULAR PLACARD; NO MENTION OF SMOKE DETECTOR IS GIVEN. THIS IS NOT TO DETER FROM THE FACT THAT THE MISSING PLACARD SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED.

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.