MECH OF A B737-200 RPTS AN UNAUTH REPAIR TO 5 SAME MAKE AND MODEL ACFT.

Narrative

THE SIT HERE AFFECTS APPROX 5 B737-200 ACFT. THE FIRST WAS BROUGHT IN FOR AN (CORROSION CHK) 'R' CHK ON NOV/XX/95 AND THE LAST WAS IN ON JAN/XX/96. THE PROB OCCURRED WHILE COMPLYING WITH AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 95- 12-17. THIS CALLS FOR REPLACEMENT OF CRACKED CHORD ANGLES AT STA 727 ON THE B737 ACFT. THE REPAIR FOR THIS IS SPECIFIED IN MAINT MANUAL AND BOEING DRAWING. OUR CREW WAS NEW TO THE JOB AND ASKED FOR GUIDANCE AND ADVICE FROM ANOTHER CREW THAT HAD PREVIOUSLY ACCOMPLISHED THE REPAIR. THROUGH A MISCOM WE WERE INFORMED THAT TWO FASTENERS THAT WERE TRAPPED BENEATH STRUCTURE BE GROUND FLUSH AND NOT PICKED UP. ONE FASTENER WAS ON THE NEW CHORD AND ONE WAS ON AN EXISTING STIFFENER REMOVED FOR ACCESS. THE PRINT WE WERE GIVEN OF BOEING DRAWING FOR THE FIRST ACFT HAD A HAND WRITTEN NOTE TO THIS EFFECT WE WERE TOLD WAS FROM ENGINEERING. THIS INFO WAS PASSED ON; AND SUBSEQUENTLY APPROX FOUR OTHER ACFT WERE REPAIRED THE SAME WAY. ON AUG/THU/96; WHILE WORKING THE SAME JOB WE WERE MADE AWARE THAT THIS PROC WAS NOT APPROVED. THIS ACFT WAS REPAIRED PROPERLY; AND THE ENGINEERING DEPT WAS NOTIFIED OF THE SIT. THEY ARE CURRENTLY IN CONTACT WITH BOEING TO RECTIFY THE PROB ON THE PREVIOUS ACFT REPAIRED INCORRECTLY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE GRINDING OFF OF THE BULK HEAD FASTENERS WAS NOT LEGALLY AUTH BY THE MANUFACTURER OF THE ACFT; BOEING. HOWEVER; SINCE THE OTHER END OF THE FASTENERS ARE COVERED BY A CASTING; THERE IS NO DANGER THAT THEY WILL FALL OUT AND CAUSE INTERFERENCE WITH OTHER PARTS. THEREFORE; THE RPTR'S COMPANY FLEET ENGINEER IS WORKING WITH BOEING TO OBTAIN AUTH FOR THE GRINDING OF THE FASTENERS COVERING ALL PAST AND FUTURE REPAIRS IN THE SAME MANNER. THIS PROC IS ACTUALLY SAFER THAN REMOVING ALL THE STRUCTURE NECESSARY TO UNCOVER THE OTHER END OF THE FASTENERS.