Narrative:

While accomplishing engineering order X I was attempting to install the safety pins in the slide assembly of door 3L and could not get the 'B' pin to go into the safety hole from the bottom even though the pin was at the hole. So I attempted to install the pin from the top. We released the slide latch and girt bar from the floor fittings and tilted the slide to expose the hole. When I pushed it in; I felt the slide girt cables come loose. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated in order to accomplish the engineering order to replace the emergency battery pack (epas); two safety pins are required to be installed in the slide/raft assembly on the door. The lower safety pin however; is the most difficult to install and in the process of trying to insert the pin; the girt cables came loose rendering the slide unusable. This unraveling is not normal. Reporter added; the slide pack may already have been in the process of coming loose even before he attempted to install the lower safety pin. Reporter also stated; due to the position of the lower safety access hole; mechanics can only use one hand to try and insert the safety pin. The engineering order drove the need to install the safety pins to prevent inadvertent slide deployment while replacing the current epas battery pack with a modified unit that incorporated a visible green indicator system light. This battery pack which is mounted on each passenger door; fires the squibb on the emergency power assist reservoir which drives the cabin door outward during emergencies if the epas switch is in the 'armed' mode.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: WHILE ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL THE LOWER SAFETY PIN IN THE SLIDE/RAFT ASSY ON A B777-200 ACFT AT DOOR #3 LEFT; MECHANIC FELT THE SLIDE GIRT CABLES COME LOOSE. SLIDE REQUIRED REPLACEMENT.

Narrative: WHILE ACCOMPLISHING ENGINEERING ORDER X I WAS ATTEMPTING TO INSTALL THE SAFETY PINS IN THE SLIDE ASSEMBLY OF DOOR 3L AND COULD NOT GET THE 'B' PIN TO GO INTO THE SAFETY HOLE FROM THE BOTTOM EVEN THOUGH THE PIN WAS AT THE HOLE. SO I ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL THE PIN FROM THE TOP. WE RELEASED THE SLIDE LATCH AND GIRT BAR FROM THE FLOOR FITTINGS AND TILTED THE SLIDE TO EXPOSE THE HOLE. WHEN I PUSHED IT IN; I FELT THE SLIDE GIRT CABLES COME LOOSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED IN ORDER TO ACCOMPLISH THE ENGINEERING ORDER TO REPLACE THE EMERGENCY BATTERY PACK (EPAS); TWO SAFETY PINS ARE REQUIRED TO BE INSTALLED IN THE SLIDE/RAFT ASSEMBLY ON THE DOOR. THE LOWER SAFETY PIN HOWEVER; IS THE MOST DIFFICULT TO INSTALL AND IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO INSERT THE PIN; THE GIRT CABLES CAME LOOSE RENDERING THE SLIDE UNUSABLE. THIS UNRAVELING IS NOT NORMAL. REPORTER ADDED; THE SLIDE PACK MAY ALREADY HAVE BEEN IN THE PROCESS OF COMING LOOSE EVEN BEFORE HE ATTEMPTED TO INSTALL THE LOWER SAFETY PIN. REPORTER ALSO STATED; DUE TO THE POSITION OF THE LOWER SAFETY ACCESS HOLE; MECHANICS CAN ONLY USE ONE HAND TO TRY AND INSERT THE SAFETY PIN. THE ENGINEERING ORDER DROVE THE NEED TO INSTALL THE SAFETY PINS TO PREVENT INADVERTENT SLIDE DEPLOYMENT WHILE REPLACING THE CURRENT EPAS BATTERY PACK WITH A MODIFIED UNIT THAT INCORPORATED A VISIBLE GREEN INDICATOR SYSTEM LIGHT. THIS BATTERY PACK WHICH IS MOUNTED ON EACH PASSENGER DOOR; FIRES THE SQUIBB ON THE EMERGENCY POWER ASSIST RESERVOIR WHICH DRIVES THE CABIN DOOR OUTWARD DURING EMERGENCIES IF THE EPAS SWITCH IS IN THE 'ARMED' MODE.

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.