AN MD88 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH PRIMARY FLT CTL UNITS REPLACED WITHOUT THE REQUIRED INSPECTION ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative

WHILE I WAS WORKING A DEFERRED ITEM FOR EXCESSIVE FLAP DROOP ON AN MD88; I FOUND IT NECESSARY PER THE MAINT MANUAL TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE TO REPLACE THE L AND R INBOARD TRAILING EDGE FLAP ACTUATING CYLINDERS. AFTER REPLACING THE CYLINDERS PER THE MAINT MANUAL; I ASKED ANOTHER MECH TO OVERLOOK MY WORK AND HELP ME FINISH THE INSTALLATION BY OPERATING THE FLAPS WHILE I CHKED FOR LEAKS AND PROPER OP AS PER THE MAINT MANUAL. BOTH CYLINDERS CHKED GOOD. I RECHKED THE MAINT MANUAL AND AT THAT TIME FOUND NO EVIDENCE THE CYLINDERS WERE REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEMS (RII); SO I SIGNED THE CYLINDERS OFF IN THE ACFT LOG. I WAS WORKING SEVERAL DAYS LATER WHEN I NOTICED A POSTER LISTING WHAT ITEMS ARE RII. HAVING NOTICED THAT FLT CTLS; AND IN PARTICULAR PRIMARY CTL ACTUATORS ARE RII; I REALIZED AN INSPECTOR NEEDED TO CHK THE INSTALLATION OF THE CYLINDERS. WE DO NOT REPLACE RII ITEMS OFTEN IN OUR DAY TO DAY WORK; AND IT IS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH THE RII LIST. THE LIST IS POSTED IN OUR WORK AREAS; BUT IT IS ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER POSTERS OF THE SAME SIZE AND COLOR. I BELIEVE RECURRENT TRAINING OR MARKING THE MAINT MANUAL WITH AN RII LOGO WOULD GREATLY INCREASE THE AWARENESS OF WHAT ITEMS ARE RII. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE JOB WAS WORKED USING THE MAINT MANUAL PROC AND HAD NO INDICATION OR STATEMENT THAT A REQUIRED INSPECTION WAS NEEDED AFTER COMPLETION. THE RPTR SAID THE ROUTINE JOB CARDS ARE IN THE SAME SIT WHERE NO INDICATION IS NOTED. THE RPTR STATED THE CARRIER SELF DISCLOSED THAT IN THE PAST MONTHS 200 ACFT WERE NOT INSPECTED AND RE-INSPECTION WAS REQUIRED. THE RPTR STATED IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT DISCLOSURE AND THE NUMBER OF ACFT INVOLVED THE MAINT MANUAL PAPERWORK AND JOB CARDS MUST BE REVISED.