A B737-500 WAS RELEASED FOR SVC AND ON THE FIRST FLT THE L ENG OUTBOARD THRUST REVERSER OUTER SLEEVE COMPOSITE COVER DEPARTED THE ACFT.

Narrative

ON JULY/MON/2004 ACFT MECHANIC AND I WERE ASSIGNED TO PERFORM THE THRUST REVERSER SLIDER TO TRACK ENGAGEMENT CHECK SI 70719-78 ON THE #1 ENG. THE INBOARD SLIDER TO TRACK ENGAGEMENT WAS WITHIN LIMITS AND GREATER THAN 30%. THE OUTBOARD FORWARD SLIDER TO TRACK ENGAGEMENT WAS RIGHT AT 30%; BUT THEN NOTICED THE AFT LOWER SLIDE ON THE SLEEVE HAD SOME PLAY. AFTER DISCUSSING WITH MY LEAD; I WROTE A NON-ROUTINE CARD TO CHANGE THE OUTBOARD SLEEVE. WE DID NOT HAVE A SLEEVE IN STOCK AND HAD TO WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY. THEN JULY/TUE/2004 I CAME INTO WORK AND WAS ASSIGNED ALONG WITH ACFT MECHANIC TO REMOVE AND INSTALL THE OUTBOARD THRUST REVERSER SLEEVE PER AMM 78-31-02-4. WE REMOVED THE BAD SLEEVE AND THE LOWER AFT SLIDER ON THE SLEEVE LOOKED WORN. THE TRACK ON THE THRUST REVERSER ITSELF HAD NO NOTICEABLE WEAR. WE UNPACKED THE NEW SLEEVE AND EVERYTHING LOOKED IN ORDER. PER AMM 78-31-02-4; WE ENGAGED THE NEW SLEEVE INTO THE TRACKS AND CHECKED FOR FULL ENGAGEMENT OF THE OUTBOARD #1 ENG THRUST REVERSER SLEEVE TRACKS WHICH IT WAS AND THEN SLID THE SLEEVE FORWARD. I THEN CONNECTED THE BLOCKER DOORS WHILE ACFT MECHANIC ATTACHED THE ROD ENDS ON THE ACTUATORS TO THE SLEEVE. AFTER HARDWARE WAS INSTALLED; I HAD INSPECTOR COME AND INSPECT THE INSTALLATION OF THE SLEEVE. AFTER INSPECTION; I THEN INSTALLED THE TWO CASCADES THAT WERE REMOVED FOR ACCESS. I THEN HAD INSPECTOR INSPECT THE INSTALLATION OF THE CASCADES. ONCE COMPLETED WITH THE INSTALLATION; WE COULD NOT HAVE POWER ON THE ACFT TO RUN HYDRAULICS; SO I ADDED A SUBTASK FOR AN OPERATIONAL CHECK TO BE COMPLETED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE FIRST FLT AFTER REPLACEMENT OF THE L ENG OUTBOARD THRUST REVERSER SLEEVE; THE OUTER COMPOSITE COVER DEPARTED THE ACFT. THE RPTR SAID THE SLEEVE WAS INSPECTED FOR CONDITION AND WAS FOUND SERVICEABLE WITH NO PARTS MISSING AND NO SCRATCHED OR DENTED COMPOSITE OUTER COVER. THE RPTR STATED THE SLEEVE ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN OVERHAULED AT A CONTRACT VENDOR AND LOOKED NEW. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 627671 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED ALL THE JOB CARDS AND NON ROUTINE CARDS WERE CHECKED FOR PROPER SIGNOFFS FOR THE INSTALLATION OF THE L ENG OUTBOARD THRUST REVERSER SLEEVE. THE RPTR SAID ALL PAPERWORK WAS COMPLETE AND THE LOGBOOK SIGNED. THE RPTR STATED ON THE FIRST FLT THE COMPOSITE OUTER LINER OF THE L ENG OUTBOARD THRUST REVERSER DEPARTED THE ACFT. THE RPTR SAID THE SLEEVE WAS REPAIRED AND RETURNED SERVICEABLE BY A CONTRACT VENDOR. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 627670 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE CANNOT REMEMBER THE INCIDENT.