AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT MAIN LNDG GEAR LOCK STAY ACTUATOR FLEXIBLE HYD LINES INSTALLED.
Synopsis
AN AIRBUS 320 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE INCORRECT MAIN LNDG GEAR LOCK STAY ACTUATOR FLEXIBLE HYD LINES INSTALLED.
Narrative
I WORK FOR A MAJOR AIRLINE THAT PROVIDES RECEIPT/DISPATCH AS WELL AS CONTRACT MAINT FOR INTL CARRIERS. THE GATE I WAS ASSIGNED HAD AN OVERWT A320 FROM AN INTL CARRIER; WITH A LEAKING HYD LINE ON THE R-HAND MAIN GEAR. USING MY COMPANY'S IPC; I IDENTED THE LINE AS THE R-HAND INBOARD LOCK STAY ACTUATOR FLEX LINE. I CONTACTED THE OTHER CARRIER'S LINE MAINT AND CONFIRMED THAT OUR IPC PART NUMBER MATCHED THEIRS. I OBTAINED THE NEW LINE AND BEGAN INSTALLING IT ON THE ACFT. I NOTICED THAT THE MANUFACTURER'S NUMBER ON THE REMOVED LINE DID NOT MATCH THE LINE I WAS INSTALLING. I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE NEW LINE SWIVELED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION AS THOSE ALREADY INSTALLED ON THE ACFT. I THEN CHKED ALL 4 LINES (2 EACH GEAR) FOR PART NUMBER IN REF TO THE IPC. I FOUND THAT ALL 4 LINES DIDN'T MATCH THE IPC AND WERE INSTALLED WITH L-HAND LINE PART NUMBERS ON R GEAR AND R-HAND LINE PART NUMBERS INSTALLED ON L-HAND GEAR. I CONTACTED THE INTL CARRIER'S LINE MAINT AGAIN AND THEY AS WELL AS I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT ALL 4 LINES COULD BE INSTALLED IN THE WRONG POS AND THAT THE IPC MUST BE INCORRECT. IN AGREEMENT WITH THEIR LINE MAINT I INSTALLED THE SAME PART NUMBER LINE THAT I TOOK OFF; ACCOMPLISHED THE REQUIRED LEAK/OPS CHKS AND THE LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF AND ACFT RELEASED FOR SVC. SEVERAL DAYS LATER; I CHKED THE LINES INSTALLED ON SEVERAL OF MY COMPANY'S A320'S AND FOUND THAT THEY MATCHED THE IPC. I CONTACTED THE OTHER CARRIER'S LINE MAINT AND INFORMED THEM OF MY FINDINGS. THEY WERE RESEARCHING A POSSIBLE IPC PROB. A CALLOUT WAS MADE TO RECHK THE LINE INSTALLATION AND REPLACE AS NECESSARY ON THE ACFT IN QUESTION. THE FACT THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TRIP OF DAY (XA00); THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS ON THE GATE; AND PRESSURE FROM GATE AGENTS FOR ON TIME DEP ALL ADDED TO INSTALLING THE WRONG LINE. I ALSO COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT SOMEONE ELSE COULD INSTALL ALL 4 LINES IN THE WRONG POS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER DISCOVERING THE L MAIN GEAR HOSE INSTALLED ON THE R MAIN GEAR THE FOREIGN CARRIER'S MAINT CTLR WAS ADVISED OF THE CONDITION. THE RPTR SAID THE CTLR WAS ADVISED TO CHK THE CARRIER'S IPC TO VERIFY THE INCORRECT INSTALLATION. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT CTLR AFFIRMED THE INCORRECT INSTALLATION AND ADVISED THE RPTR TO REPLACE THE FLEXIBLE LINE WITH THE SAME PART NUMBER REMOVED. THE AIRPLANE WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE L ACTUATOR HOSES ON THE R LNDG GEAR AND THE R HOSES ON THE L GEAR. THE RPTR SAID THE DIFFERENCE IN HOSES IS THE SWIVEL FITTING BUILT ON THE HOSES WHICH WILL NOT TURN IN THE CORRECT DIRECTION DISTORTING AND KINKING THE HOSES.
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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.