Narrative:

I was servicing the #5 flap transmission. I went to the tool room to get some more 5606. I asked the attendant for some 5606. He brought me a gallon. He checked the color and said it was 5606 so I filled my container to full. I went to the aircraft and svced the transmission then signed off the paperwork. The next morning at about XA00; the tool room attendant told me that he gave me the wrong fluid. We told my lead technician; he called maintenance control and told them what had happened. We then went out to the aircraft at the gate before its first flight. I drained; flushed; and refilled the transmission; then signed off the logbook. Make sure to read the label; to make sure that I am putting in the right fluid. The gallon can was for servicing new generation xmissions only and red in color; the same as 5606. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the fluid he used to service the #5 flap transmission on a B737-500 aircraft; came from a container with the words 'for next generation aircraft only' printed at the lower section of the container. Reporter stated he and the tool room attendant just never saw the words at that time. After he had gone out to the gate and drained; reserviced the transmission fluid; he and his lead researched why there would be a different type of transmission oil for the next generation aircraft. Reporter stated they realized later; new next generation B737's coming from boeing use aeronautical-40 oil; which is compatible with military-5606 and the same color. The fluid he originally serviced from the container marked 'next generation aircraft only' was from a different vendor his carrier purchased from. But all three fluids are interchangeable and compatible per boeing and his carrier's engineering specifications.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MECHANIC IS INFORMED HE MAY HAVE SERVICED THE #5 FLAP TRANSMISSION ON A B737-500 WITH FLUID FOR NEXT GEN B737 ACFT.

Narrative: I WAS SVCING THE #5 FLAP XMISSION. I WENT TO THE TOOL ROOM TO GET SOME MORE 5606. I ASKED THE ATTENDANT FOR SOME 5606. HE BROUGHT ME A GALLON. HE CHKED THE COLOR AND SAID IT WAS 5606 SO I FILLED MY CONTAINER TO FULL. I WENT TO THE ACFT AND SVCED THE XMISSION THEN SIGNED OFF THE PAPERWORK. THE NEXT MORNING AT ABOUT XA00; THE TOOL ROOM ATTENDANT TOLD ME THAT HE GAVE ME THE WRONG FLUID. WE TOLD MY LEAD TECHNICIAN; HE CALLED MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM WHAT HAD HAPPENED. WE THEN WENT OUT TO THE ACFT AT THE GATE BEFORE ITS FIRST FLT. I DRAINED; FLUSHED; AND REFILLED THE XMISSION; THEN SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK. MAKE SURE TO READ THE LABEL; TO MAKE SURE THAT I AM PUTTING IN THE RIGHT FLUID. THE GALLON CAN WAS FOR SVCING NEW GENERATION XMISSIONS ONLY AND RED IN COLOR; THE SAME AS 5606. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE FLUID HE USED TO SERVICE THE #5 FLAP TRANSMISSION ON A B737-500 ACFT; CAME FROM A CONTAINER WITH THE WORDS 'FOR NEXT GENERATION ACFT ONLY' PRINTED AT THE LOWER SECTION OF THE CONTAINER. REPORTER STATED HE AND THE TOOL ROOM ATTENDANT JUST NEVER SAW THE WORDS AT THAT TIME. AFTER HE HAD GONE OUT TO THE GATE AND DRAINED; RESERVICED THE TRANSMISSION FLUID; HE AND HIS LEAD RESEARCHED WHY THERE WOULD BE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRANSMISSION OIL FOR THE NEXT GENERATION ACFT. REPORTER STATED THEY REALIZED LATER; NEW NEXT GENERATION B737'S COMING FROM BOEING USE AERO-40 OIL; WHICH IS COMPATIBLE WITH MIL-5606 AND THE SAME COLOR. THE FLUID HE ORIGINALLY SERVICED FROM THE CONTAINER MARKED 'NEXT GENERATION ACFT ONLY' WAS FROM A DIFFERENT VENDOR HIS CARRIER PURCHASED FROM. BUT ALL THREE FLUIDS ARE INTERCHANGEABLE AND COMPATIBLE PER BOEING AND HIS CARRIER'S ENGINEERING SPECIFICATIONS.

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.