Narrative:

Myself and another amt were assigned to work on an air carrier Y check. We were assigned the job card to open the engines up and deactivate the thrust reversers. I used the MEL pin attached to the thrust reverser and pinned it in the deactivated position. At that point we were assigned other work on the engine. Before the end of our shift we signed off the opening up but not the close-up. There were several other cards to verify and the thrust reversers did not deploy due to the fact they were still pinned in the deactivated position. The air carrier Y paperwork was confusing and not very consistent. More organization needs to be in order when assigning the job cards. More time needs to be spent on training on the differences or at least going through the job cards before the work is assigned to make the amt's aware of what is being accomplished. The job cards need to have notes and warnings enlarged so they are more visible. Supplemental information from acn 801710: engine reverser lockout pin left in place after completion of work. I and my partner installed the pins per our job cards. There were other job cards to remove the pins. We did not have anything to do with removing the pins. Supplemental information from acn 801712: I was assigned to work a flap seal job card. At close to the end of shift; supervisor asked to have some pylon panels installed on the #2 pylon. I did as asked at the end of shift. I was asked to sign for the reinstallation of the pylon panels; which I did. Aircraft departed some time later and reverser pins had not been removed resulting in #2 reverser not opening on landing. Have a designated supervisor and lead who is familiar with the paperwork. Have the people who do work have the job card in hand so it can be assessed for job progression and completion. Stress the importance of signing for applicable work items. Callback conversation with reporter acn 801711 revealed the following information: reporter stated all three of them (mechanics); were contracted by their carrier to work on another carrier's A320 and deactivate both engine thrust reversers. The lock out pins that were installed to deactivate both engine thrust reverser hydraulic control valves in the pylons on the A320 came with the engine; but did not have streamers. Reporter stated most of the onboard lockout pins used to deactivate the A320 T/right's of that particular carrier; do not have safety streamers attached to the pins. Reporter also stated that after the incident; he reviewed the lock out pin installation procedure again; and did notice; in fine print at the bottom of the job card; a comment to check for streamer being attached to the lock out pin. He just did not see the reminder notice.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS A320 #2 ENG THRUST REVERSER WOULD NOT DEPLOY UPON LANDING. T/R LOCK OUT PIN WAS NOT REMOVED AFTER PREVIOUS OVERNIGHT MAINT WORK. LOCK OUT PIN DID NOT HAVE A SAFETY STREAMER ATTACHED.

Narrative: MYSELF AND ANOTHER AMT WERE ASSIGNED TO WORK ON AN ACR Y CHK. WE WERE ASSIGNED THE JOB CARD TO OPEN THE ENGS UP AND DEACTIVATE THE THRUST REVERSERS. I USED THE MEL PIN ATTACHED TO THE THRUST REVERSER AND PINNED IT IN THE DEACTIVATED POS. AT THAT POINT WE WERE ASSIGNED OTHER WORK ON THE ENG. BEFORE THE END OF OUR SHIFT WE SIGNED OFF THE OPENING UP BUT NOT THE CLOSE-UP. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER CARDS TO VERIFY AND THE THRUST REVERSERS DID NOT DEPLOY DUE TO THE FACT THEY WERE STILL PINNED IN THE DEACTIVATED POS. THE ACR Y PAPERWORK WAS CONFUSING AND NOT VERY CONSISTENT. MORE ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO BE IN ORDER WHEN ASSIGNING THE JOB CARDS. MORE TIME NEEDS TO BE SPENT ON TRAINING ON THE DIFFERENCES OR AT LEAST GOING THROUGH THE JOB CARDS BEFORE THE WORK IS ASSIGNED TO MAKE THE AMT'S AWARE OF WHAT IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED. THE JOB CARDS NEED TO HAVE NOTES AND WARNINGS ENLARGED SO THEY ARE MORE VISIBLE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 801710: ENG REVERSER LOCKOUT PIN LEFT IN PLACE AFTER COMPLETION OF WORK. I AND MY PARTNER INSTALLED THE PINS PER OUR JOB CARDS. THERE WERE OTHER JOB CARDS TO REMOVE THE PINS. WE DID NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH REMOVING THE PINS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 801712: I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK A FLAP SEAL JOB CARD. AT CLOSE TO THE END OF SHIFT; SUPVR ASKED TO HAVE SOME PYLON PANELS INSTALLED ON THE #2 PYLON. I DID AS ASKED AT THE END OF SHIFT. I WAS ASKED TO SIGN FOR THE REINSTALLATION OF THE PYLON PANELS; WHICH I DID. ACFT DEPARTED SOME TIME LATER AND REVERSER PINS HAD NOT BEEN REMOVED RESULTING IN #2 REVERSER NOT OPENING ON LNDG. HAVE A DESIGNATED SUPVR AND LEAD WHO IS FAMILIAR WITH THE PAPERWORK. HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO DO WORK HAVE THE JOB CARD IN HAND SO IT CAN BE ASSESSED FOR JOB PROGRESSION AND COMPLETION. STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF SIGNING FOR APPLICABLE WORK ITEMS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 801711 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED ALL THREE OF THEM (MECHANICS); WERE CONTRACTED BY THEIR CARRIER TO WORK ON ANOTHER CARRIER'S A320 AND DEACTIVATE BOTH ENGINE THRUST REVERSERS. THE LOCK OUT PINS THAT WERE INSTALLED TO DEACTIVATE BOTH ENG THRUST REVERSER HYD CONTROL VALVES IN THE PYLONS ON THE A320 CAME WITH THE ENG; BUT DID NOT HAVE STREAMERS. REPORTER STATED MOST OF THE ONBOARD LOCKOUT PINS USED TO DEACTIVATE THE A320 T/R'S OF THAT PARTICULAR CARRIER; DO NOT HAVE SAFETY STREAMERS ATTACHED TO THE PINS. REPORTER ALSO STATED THAT AFTER THE INCIDENT; HE REVIEWED THE LOCK OUT PIN INSTALLATION PROCEDURE AGAIN; AND DID NOTICE; IN FINE PRINT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE JOB CARD; A COMMENT TO CHECK FOR STREAMER BEING ATTACHED TO THE LOCK OUT PIN. HE JUST DID NOT SEE THE REMINDER NOTICE.

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.