A DC10-30 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE INCORRECT FLT GUIDANCE PANEL INSTALLED.

Narrative

ON JUL/XA/98 ACFT XYZ INBOUND WITH DISCREPANCY 'DIRECTIONAL CTL PANEL HDG DISPLAY DIGITS OUT OF SEQUENCE.' AFTER ORDERING PART NUMBER CBA ABC YYY; PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE. I WAS TOLD BY OUR ZZZ MAINT CTL TO ROB THE PANEL FROM ACFT YMZ. THE PANEL HAD A DIFFERENT PART NUMBER AND SHOWED NOT INTERCHANGEABLE WITH ACFT XYZ. I AND THE SUPVR ON DUTY AND MAINT CTLR DISCUSSED THE SIT WITH ZYX CTL. THEY IN TURN DECIDED TO GET ACR ENGINEERING INVOLVED. ZYX MAINT CTL HAD CALLED AND TOLD ZZZ MAINT THAT THE PANEL FROM ACFT YMZ WAS APPLICABLE FOR ACFT XYZ. I INSTALLED THE PART AND PERFORMED THE OPERATIONAL CHKS AND ALL CHKS WERE GOOD. ACFT WAS RETURNED FOR SVC. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PANEL ROBBED PART NUMBER WAS NOT SHOWN IN THE PARTS CATALOG AS BEING INTERCHANGEABLE WITH THE GUIDANCE PANEL REMOVED AND THE FOREMAN WAS ADVISED. THE RPTR SAID ENGINEERING AND MAINT CTL APPROVED USE OF THE PART ROBBED FROM ACFT YMZ BUT DID NOT SEND A VERBAL MESSAGE OR ENGINEERING APPROVAL. THE RPTR STATED THE ACFT FLEW FOR 2 WKS WITH NO FLT GUIDANCE PANEL PROBS. THE RPTR STATED HE HAS 12 YRS EXPERIENCE AS A TECHNICIAN.