DURING A CLOSE UP SPOTCHECK OF AN AILERON INSTALLATION; A MECHANIC FOUND THE RIGHT-HAND AILERON ATTACH BOLTS FOR THE MID SECTION AND OUTBOARD SECTION WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ON AN ATR-72-200. TWO OTHER MECHANICS AND TWO INSPECTORS ALSO REPORT ON THE INSTALLATION.

Date: 2008-10 · Aircraft: ATR 72 · Phase: ground

Anomalies: aircraft-equipment-problem-critical|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-far|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-published-material-policy|deviation-discrepancy-procedural-maintenance

Synopsis

DURING A CLOSE UP SPOTCHECK OF AN AILERON INSTALLATION; A MECHANIC FOUND THE RIGHT-HAND AILERON ATTACH BOLTS FOR THE MID SECTION AND OUTBOARD SECTION WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY ON AN ATR-72-200. TWO OTHER MECHANICS AND TWO INSPECTORS ALSO REPORT ON THE INSTALLATION.

Narrative

I WAS DOING A SPOT-CHECK ON THE AILERON INSTALLATION ON ACFT TO CHK FOR COTTER PINS AND BONDING WIRE INSTALLATION AND FOUND THAT THE R-HAND INSTALLATION OF THE AILERON ATTACH BOLTS FOR THE MID SECTION AND OUTBOARD SECTION WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AS PER JIC (JOB INSTALLATION CARD). I INFORMED THE QA INSPECTOR ON DUTY AND CREW CHIEF ON DUTY ABOUT THE ISSUE. I THINK WHY IT OCCURRED IS BECAUSE THERE WERE TOO MANY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE JOB. AND THE PLANE HAS BEEN DOWN FOR ABOUT A MONTH. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 811834: I OVERHEARD THE MECHS TALKING ABOUT HOW THEY THOUGHT THE ATTACH BOLTS FOR THE R-HAND AILERON WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. I LATER HEARD THAT THE INSTALLATION OF THE R AILERON HAD BEEN SIGNED OFF BY QA DEPT. THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT BACK TO THE HANGAR AREA AND THE ATTACH HARDWARE WAS INSTALLED CORRECTLY. THERE SHOULD NOT BE SO MANY MECHS WORKING THE SAME TASK. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 811832: R-HAND AILERON INSTALLATION ON ACFT. A MECH NOTICED ATTACHMENT POINTS HARDWARES INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. HE RPTED IT TO ME AND AFTER A BRIEF DISCUSSION I TOLD HIM TO NOTIFY THE INSPECTOR ON DUTY ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. THE ACFT MAINT MANUAL ILLUSTRATION WAS INTERPRETED INCORRECTLY. A MECH DOING A FINAL INSPECTION BEFORE CLOSING AREA NOTICED PROB. IF SOMEONE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE PROCS IN A PARTICULAR MANUAL THEN THEY SHOULD SEEK OUT HELP BEFORE PROCEEDING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 811836: ON OCT/XA/08 (THIRD SHIFT) I WAS THE INSPECTOR OVERSEEING 3 MECHS INSTALLING R-HAND AILERON. THEY PROPERLY TORQUED HARDWARE AND COTTER PIN AS STATED ON JIC. ON THE MORNING OF OCT/XB/08 I WAS CALLED AND INFORMED THAT THE ACFT WAS CANCELED AND WAS RETURNING TO HANGAR; TO RE-INSPECT AILERON BOLTS INSTALLATION. CONFLICT WITH JIC WORK CARD.

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Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.