AN MD80 WAS RETURNED TO SVC AND OPERATED FOR 9 MONTHS WITH THE R-HAND AILERON SECTOR MECHANISM INSTALLED IN THE L AILERON POS.

Narrative

ON OCT/XA/98 I WAS INFORMED THAT I WAS INVOLVED IN A REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEM BUYBACK OF AN AILERON SECTOR ON ACFT XYZ WHERE A R-HAND SECTOR WAS INSTALLED ON THE L- HAND SIDE. THIS PROB INVOLVES NUMEROUS OTHER SECTORS MISIDENTED PRIOR TO INSTALLATION. THERE WAS A BULLETIN ISSUED DUE TO SECTORS BEING MISIDENTED FROM THE SHOP WHICH INITIATED THIS FINDING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SECTOR INSTALLATION WAS NOT A SAFETY OF FLT PROB AS THE INSTALLATION MECH ADJUSTED FOR THE MINOR DIFFERENCES IN THE RIGGING. THE RPTR SAID THE PART NUMBERS ON THE SECTOR ARE STAMPED IN VERY TINY NUMBERS AT THE END OF THE SECTOR AND BARELY VISIBLE. THE RPTR SAID THE SECTOR OVERHAUL SHOP WAS UNAWARE OF ANY DIFFERENCES BTWN THE L AND R UNITS AND THIS ACCOUNTED FOR THE INCORRECT PARTS TAG. THE RPTR SAID ANOTHER FACTOR ADDING TO THE CONFUSION WAS THE ACR IN THE LAST YR ABANDONING THE TRADITIONAL METHOD OF ALL PART NUMBERS WITH AN EVEN NUMBER ARE ALWAYS INSTALLED ON THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT AND UNEVEN NUMBERS ARE INSTALLED ON THE L. THE ACR CHANGED THIS METHOD TO EVEN ON THE L AND ODD ON THE R. THE RPTR STATED THE SECTOR OVERHAUL SHOP WAS ALSO UNAWARE OF THIS CHANGE. THE RPTR SAID THE MARKING OF THE PARTS IS NOW CLRLY VISIBLE AND IT APPEARS THE ODD AND EVEN METHOD IS BEING CHANGED BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL METHOD.