Narrative:

Mr X and I were called on the radio by the line supervisor about a broken latch for the external power door on aircraft Y. It would be in soon. He said maintenance control would like us to clear the deferral at that time to end re-inspect of the speed tape applied in the deferral. We pulled the external power door kit we have in the sheet metal van for MD80 aircraft. After verifying the correct latch in the ipc; we waited for the aircraft to arrive. 15 mins prior to arrival; we were told by maintenance coordinator that maintenance control was unsure if the aircraft in question was aircraft Y or aircraft X arriving. Aircraft Y arrived. After verifying the discrepant external power door was not aircraft Y; we put the kit back on the shelf and pulled the B737-400 external power door kit. I emptied the kit out onto the bench and printed the ipc reference for aircraft X (external power door). Finding the correct part number in the ipc; I showed mr X how the latch has its part number stamped on the part. We had at that time the correct latch. I do not recall the full part number at this time. But I do know that the last 3 numbers were -XXX. The latch was then set down on the bench with all the tools to do the job when aircraft X arrived. The kit was still spread out on the bench. We then received a call to another aircraft for a dent in the #1 slat leading edge right wing. It was handled with 15 mins to spare. Proceeding to the gate; we waited for the aircraft. I moved the tools and a latch from the bench to the front of the van in a bucket. I did not realize that another latch (a -yy?) was also mixed in with the -xx latches. We installed the latch on the external power door; made sure the latch opened and locked correctly but did not check to see if it would latch in the door cutout since all it was missing was the button. The aircraft pushed back from the gate and the ramp was unable to latch the door. They came back to the gate and we then noticed the wrong latch was installed. We removed it and installed the correct one; verified it latched in the door frame and signed maintenance log page. The 2 latches look very much alike and I never doublechked the part number at the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 EXTERNAL POWER RECEPTACLE CUTOUT DOOR LATCH WAS REPLACED WITH AN INCORRECT LATCH ASSEMBLY; REQUIRING ACFT TO RETURN TO GATE.

Narrative: MR X AND I WERE CALLED ON THE RADIO BY THE LINE SUPVR ABOUT A BROKEN LATCH FOR THE EXTERNAL PWR DOOR ON ACFT Y. IT WOULD BE IN SOON. HE SAID MAINT CTL WOULD LIKE US TO CLR THE DEFERRAL AT THAT TIME TO END RE-INSPECT OF THE SPD TAPE APPLIED IN THE DEFERRAL. WE PULLED THE EXTERNAL PWR DOOR KIT WE HAVE IN THE SHEET METAL VAN FOR MD80 ACFT. AFTER VERIFYING THE CORRECT LATCH IN THE IPC; WE WAITED FOR THE ACFT TO ARRIVE. 15 MINS PRIOR TO ARR; WE WERE TOLD BY MAINT COORDINATOR THAT MAINT CTL WAS UNSURE IF THE ACFT IN QUESTION WAS ACFT Y OR ACFT X ARRIVING. ACFT Y ARRIVED. AFTER VERIFYING THE DISCREPANT EXTERNAL PWR DOOR WAS NOT ACFT Y; WE PUT THE KIT BACK ON THE SHELF AND PULLED THE B737-400 EXTERNAL PWR DOOR KIT. I EMPTIED THE KIT OUT ONTO THE BENCH AND PRINTED THE IPC REF FOR ACFT X (EXTERNAL PWR DOOR). FINDING THE CORRECT PART NUMBER IN THE IPC; I SHOWED MR X HOW THE LATCH HAS ITS PART NUMBER STAMPED ON THE PART. WE HAD AT THAT TIME THE CORRECT LATCH. I DO NOT RECALL THE FULL PART NUMBER AT THIS TIME. BUT I DO KNOW THAT THE LAST 3 NUMBERS WERE -XXX. THE LATCH WAS THEN SET DOWN ON THE BENCH WITH ALL THE TOOLS TO DO THE JOB WHEN ACFT X ARRIVED. THE KIT WAS STILL SPREAD OUT ON THE BENCH. WE THEN RECEIVED A CALL TO ANOTHER ACFT FOR A DENT IN THE #1 SLAT LEADING EDGE R WING. IT WAS HANDLED WITH 15 MINS TO SPARE. PROCEEDING TO THE GATE; WE WAITED FOR THE ACFT. I MOVED THE TOOLS AND A LATCH FROM THE BENCH TO THE FRONT OF THE VAN IN A BUCKET. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT ANOTHER LATCH (A -YY?) WAS ALSO MIXED IN WITH THE -XX LATCHES. WE INSTALLED THE LATCH ON THE EXTERNAL PWR DOOR; MADE SURE THE LATCH OPENED AND LOCKED CORRECTLY BUT DID NOT CHK TO SEE IF IT WOULD LATCH IN THE DOOR CUTOUT SINCE ALL IT WAS MISSING WAS THE BUTTON. THE ACFT PUSHED BACK FROM THE GATE AND THE RAMP WAS UNABLE TO LATCH THE DOOR. THEY CAME BACK TO THE GATE AND WE THEN NOTICED THE WRONG LATCH WAS INSTALLED. WE REMOVED IT AND INSTALLED THE CORRECT ONE; VERIFIED IT LATCHED IN THE DOOR FRAME AND SIGNED MAINT LOG PAGE. THE 2 LATCHES LOOK VERY MUCH ALIKE AND I NEVER DOUBLECHKED THE PART NUMBER AT THE ACFT.

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.