Narrative:

When getting 2 nose tires for change on aircraft XXX; first looking at the paint on marking on one tire then the shelf life also painted on; I rolled the first 2 tires out of the stock area; both having the same color wheel covers. The first tire I looked at was the correct tire and wheel. The tire and wheel I rolled out next to it; now brought to my attention; was not the correct part number. Station does not stock 300/500 tires and are not allocated these tires. About 1 month later; the wrong tire was removed and replaced with proper part number per maintenance manual. To prevent this from happening again; I will use the ipc to check for correct part number. Bringing this to my supervisor's attention; he has brought this to the attention of the tire and brake desk to always use the same color wheel covers for each part number. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated his company procedures tell mechanics to use the color of the wheel covers as an acceptable guide for installing the correct wheel/tire assembly. Both of the nose tires he installed had wheel cover colors indicating -800 tires. Although tires come with sidewall stenciling for aircraft to be used on; he did not really notice. His station does not stock B737-300/500 nose tires; only next generation type B737-700/800/900 aircraft tires. The parts tag on the wheel only identify the wheel; not the tire or the aircraft to be used on. Even their company maintenance/engineering says to use the wheel cover colors as a proper guide; but; the tire/wheel/brake shop do not follow the color guide when they run out of a certain cover color. That's how the -300/500 tire ended up at his station; because this tire had the incorrect colored cover used on next gen aircraft tires. Reporter stated that approximately six weeks later; an outbound captain walking around the aircraft; noticed the stenciling on the tire sidewall indicating -300/500 aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC DESCRIBES EVENTS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO HIS INSTALLING TWO NEW NOSE TIRES ON A B737-800 USING COLOR OF WHEEL COVERS AS GUIDE PER COMPANY PROCEDURE. ONE TIRE WAS FOR A B737-300/500 ACFT.

Narrative: WHEN GETTING 2 NOSE TIRES FOR CHANGE ON ACFT XXX; FIRST LOOKING AT THE PAINT ON MARKING ON ONE TIRE THEN THE SHELF LIFE ALSO PAINTED ON; I ROLLED THE FIRST 2 TIRES OUT OF THE STOCK AREA; BOTH HAVING THE SAME COLOR WHEEL COVERS. THE FIRST TIRE I LOOKED AT WAS THE CORRECT TIRE AND WHEEL. THE TIRE AND WHEEL I ROLLED OUT NEXT TO IT; NOW BROUGHT TO MY ATTN; WAS NOT THE CORRECT PART NUMBER. STATION DOES NOT STOCK 300/500 TIRES AND ARE NOT ALLOCATED THESE TIRES. ABOUT 1 MONTH LATER; THE WRONG TIRE WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED WITH PROPER PART NUMBER PER MAINT MANUAL. TO PREVENT THIS FROM HAPPENING AGAIN; I WILL USE THE IPC TO CHK FOR CORRECT PART NUMBER. BRINGING THIS TO MY SUPVR'S ATTN; HE HAS BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE TIRE AND BRAKE DESK TO ALWAYS USE THE SAME COLOR WHEEL COVERS FOR EACH PART NUMBER. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HIS COMPANY PROCEDURES TELL MECHANICS TO USE THE COLOR OF THE WHEEL COVERS AS AN ACCEPTABLE GUIDE FOR INSTALLING THE CORRECT WHEEL/TIRE ASSEMBLY. BOTH OF THE NOSE TIRES HE INSTALLED HAD WHEEL COVER COLORS INDICATING -800 TIRES. ALTHOUGH TIRES COME WITH SIDEWALL STENCILING FOR ACFT TO BE USED ON; HE DID NOT REALLY NOTICE. HIS STATION DOES NOT STOCK B737-300/500 NOSE TIRES; ONLY NEXT GENERATION TYPE B737-700/800/900 ACFT TIRES. THE PARTS TAG ON THE WHEEL ONLY IDENTIFY THE WHEEL; NOT THE TIRE OR THE ACFT TO BE USED ON. EVEN THEIR COMPANY MAINT/ENGINEERING SAYS TO USE THE WHEEL COVER COLORS AS A PROPER GUIDE; BUT; THE TIRE/WHEEL/BRAKE SHOP DO NOT FOLLOW THE COLOR GUIDE WHEN THEY RUN OUT OF A CERTAIN COVER COLOR. THAT'S HOW THE -300/500 TIRE ENDED UP AT HIS STATION; BECAUSE THIS TIRE HAD THE INCORRECT COLORED COVER USED ON NEXT GEN ACFT TIRES. REPORTER STATED THAT APPROX SIX WEEKS LATER; AN OUTBOUND CAPTAIN WALKING AROUND THE ACFT; NOTICED THE STENCILING ON THE TIRE SIDEWALL INDICATING -300/500 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.