Narrative:

Aircraft X arrived from ZZZ. Flight crew reported autospoilers did not deploy on landing; deployed manually. Contract maintenance was dispatched to defer item in accordance with air carrier MEL. This is assumed that maintenance control did issue the authority/authorized to those involved with the maintenance action. The spoiler handle actuator was to be deactivated in the flight position; as per the maintenance manual. ZZZ line maintenance was asked to check and install placard to reflect what is stated in the MEL manual. It was discovered; by the flight crew and maintenance technician; that the handle actuator was not deactivated in the flight position as per the MEL. The procedure that is stated in the current version of the maintenance manual cannot be accomplished. This procedure appears to be only acceptable for those aircraft that have rejected takeoff and autobrakes; not older aircraft. The correct procedure is stated in the amm. The aircraft was removed from service to fix the problem. When contract maintenance is involved with air carrier aircraft; they should be trained in the procedure to defer PIREPS and have access to the current MEL's and latest revisions of the maintenance manual. If that information is not available; they should not attempt to accomplish without the correct information. This should include amm procedures as well. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated his carrier has a mix of md-80 aircraft. The current version of their MEL maintenance procedures for deferral cannot be applied to this model series md-80 because this aircraft did not have rejected takeoff and autobrakes function for takeoff. The MEL procedure referenced calls out to have the spoiler handle electric actuator be deactivated and the spoiler handle pinned to prevent the pilot from trying to position the spoiler handle into the autospoiler mode. Manual movement of the spoiler handle for flight or ground spoilers was still available. Reporter also stated the md-80 spoiler handle works with a two-track type design. In flight; pilot squeezes and pulls spoiler handle; for ground and automatic spoilers the handle is lifted first. This design is different from boeing aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD-80 FLIGHT CREW AND MAINT TECH DISCOVER THE MEL PROCEDURE USED FOR DEFERRAL OF THE AUTO SPOILERS COULD NOT BE APPLIED TO THIS OLDER MODEL MD-80.

Narrative: ACFT X ARRIVED FROM ZZZ. FLT CREW RPTED AUTOSPOILERS DID NOT DEPLOY ON LNDG; DEPLOYED MANUALLY. CONTRACT MAINT WAS DISPATCHED TO DEFER ITEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH ACR MEL. THIS IS ASSUMED THAT MAINT CTL DID ISSUE THE AUTH TO THOSE INVOLVED WITH THE MAINT ACTION. THE SPOILER HANDLE ACTUATOR WAS TO BE DEACTIVATED IN THE FLT POS; AS PER THE MAINT MANUAL. ZZZ LINE MAINT WAS ASKED TO CHK AND INSTALL PLACARD TO REFLECT WHAT IS STATED IN THE MEL MANUAL. IT WAS DISCOVERED; BY THE FLT CREW AND MAINT TECHNICIAN; THAT THE HANDLE ACTUATOR WAS NOT DEACTIVATED IN THE FLT POS AS PER THE MEL. THE PROC THAT IS STATED IN THE CURRENT VERSION OF THE MAINT MANUAL CANNOT BE ACCOMPLISHED. THIS PROC APPEARS TO BE ONLY ACCEPTABLE FOR THOSE ACFT THAT HAVE RTO AND AUTOBRAKES; NOT OLDER ACFT. THE CORRECT PROC IS STATED IN THE AMM. THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC TO FIX THE PROB. WHEN CONTRACT MAINT IS INVOLVED WITH ACR ACFT; THEY SHOULD BE TRAINED IN THE PROC TO DEFER PIREPS AND HAVE ACCESS TO THE CURRENT MEL'S AND LATEST REVISIONS OF THE MAINT MANUAL. IF THAT INFO IS NOT AVAILABLE; THEY SHOULD NOT ATTEMPT TO ACCOMPLISH WITHOUT THE CORRECT INFO. THIS SHOULD INCLUDE AMM PROCS AS WELL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HIS CARRIER HAS A MIX OF MD-80 ACFT. THE CURRENT VERSION OF THEIR MEL MAINT PROCEDURES FOR DEFERRAL CANNOT BE APPLIED TO THIS MODEL SERIES MD-80 BECAUSE THIS ACFT DID NOT HAVE RTO AND AUTOBRAKES FUNCTION FOR TAKEOFF. THE MEL PROCEDURE REFERENCED CALLS OUT TO HAVE THE SPOILER HANDLE ELECTRIC ACTUATOR BE DEACTIVATED AND THE SPOILER HANDLE PINNED TO PREVENT THE PILOT FROM TRYING TO POSITION THE SPOILER HANDLE INTO THE AUTOSPOILER MODE. MANUAL MOVEMENT OF THE SPOILER HANDLE FOR FLIGHT OR GROUND SPOILERS WAS STILL AVAILABLE. REPORTER ALSO STATED THE MD-80 SPOILER HANDLE WORKS WITH A TWO-TRACK TYPE DESIGN. IN FLIGHT; PILOT SQUEEZES AND PULLS SPOILER HANDLE; FOR GROUND AND AUTO SPOILERS THE HANDLE IS LIFTED FIRST. THIS DESIGN IS DIFFERENT FROM BOEING ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.