Narrative:

This response is in reference to certified letter of investigation from the FAA. On feb/thu/07; I spoke with FAA safety inspector about an issue he had for aircraft X. The area of concern was regarding the velcro tabs mating properly in the stowed and armed position concealing the red manual inflation handle on aft service door evacuate/evacuation slide. The FAA inspector surveyed as I checked the area of concern. I made the determination to replace the aft service door evacuate/evacuation slide to prevent a delay. It was replaced with another svcable slide. The svcable replacement slide had the engineering order done that is now required by the FAA and our company. I was doing my assigned 'a' check and service that night; issued on the aircraft in question. I found all emergency evacuate/evacuation slides in svcable condition per 'a' check card. If the inspector had a concern about the forward entry door slide on the aircraft in question; he never addressed me about this problem. In corrective action of this event; I would like to see all slides removed that have not gone through the shop engineering order as soon as possible. This ensures that the judgement of qualified amt is not in question. In conclusion; I follow the 'a' check and service card as required. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: issue of velcro straps covering the manual red 'pull' release handle on the door escape slides was already being addressed by the employer; using an engineering order to accomplish a mode that would reposition the velcro straps when the slides were removed for normal expiration. The velcro straps held the slide casing flap in position but would tend to cover the 'pull' handle in the 'stow' or 'armed' position down by the slide girt bar. The reporter adds he changed the door slide because the FAA inspector had a concern for a worn; but functional velcro strap. The FAA had found multiple maintenance discrepancies on multiple aircraft that night and confusion arose as to which aircraft had what discrepancy; but he still received an initial 'letter of investigation.'

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MECHANIC WAS CITED BY FAA FOR MD-80 ACFT DOOR EMERGENCY SLIDE CASE VELCRO STRAP COVERING RED MANUAL PULL DEPLOY HANDLE.

Narrative: THIS RESPONSE IS IN REF TO CERTIFIED LETTER OF INVESTIGATION FROM THE FAA. ON FEB/THU/07; I SPOKE WITH FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR ABOUT AN ISSUE HE HAD FOR ACFT X. THE AREA OF CONCERN WAS REGARDING THE VELCRO TABS MATING PROPERLY IN THE STOWED AND ARMED POS CONCEALING THE RED MANUAL INFLATION HANDLE ON AFT SVC DOOR EVAC SLIDE. THE FAA INSPECTOR SURVEYED AS I CHKED THE AREA OF CONCERN. I MADE THE DETERMINATION TO REPLACE THE AFT SVC DOOR EVAC SLIDE TO PREVENT A DELAY. IT WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SVCABLE SLIDE. THE SVCABLE REPLACEMENT SLIDE HAD THE ENGINEERING ORDER DONE THAT IS NOW REQUIRED BY THE FAA AND OUR COMPANY. I WAS DOING MY ASSIGNED 'A' CHK AND SVC THAT NIGHT; ISSUED ON THE ACFT IN QUESTION. I FOUND ALL EMER EVAC SLIDES IN SVCABLE CONDITION PER 'A' CHK CARD. IF THE INSPECTOR HAD A CONCERN ABOUT THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR SLIDE ON THE ACFT IN QUESTION; HE NEVER ADDRESSED ME ABOUT THIS PROB. IN CORRECTIVE ACTION OF THIS EVENT; I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL SLIDES REMOVED THAT HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH THE SHOP ENGINEERING ORDER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. THIS ENSURES THAT THE JUDGEMENT OF QUALIFIED AMT IS NOT IN QUESTION. IN CONCLUSION; I FOLLOW THE 'A' CHK AND SVC CARD AS REQUIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: ISSUE OF VELCRO STRAPS COVERING THE MANUAL RED 'PULL' RELEASE HANDLE ON THE DOOR ESCAPE SLIDES WAS ALREADY BEING ADDRESSED BY THE EMPLOYER; USING AN ENGINEERING ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH A MODE THAT WOULD REPOSITION THE VELCRO STRAPS WHEN THE SLIDES WERE REMOVED FOR NORMAL EXPIRATION. THE VELCRO STRAPS HELD THE SLIDE CASING FLAP IN POSITION BUT WOULD TEND TO COVER THE 'PULL' HANDLE IN THE 'STOW' OR 'ARMED' POSITION DOWN BY THE SLIDE GIRT BAR. THE REPORTER ADDS HE CHANGED THE DOOR SLIDE BECAUSE THE FAA INSPECTOR HAD A CONCERN FOR A WORN; BUT FUNCTIONAL VELCRO STRAP. THE FAA HAD FOUND MULTIPLE MAINT DISCREPANCIES ON MULTIPLE ACFT THAT NIGHT AND CONFUSION AROSE AS TO WHICH ACFT HAD WHAT DISCREPANCY; BUT HE STILL RECEIVED AN INITIAL 'LETTER OF INVESTIGATION.'

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.