Improper maintenance causes widebody transport flight to return land at tahiti.

Attributes
ACN	240503
Time
Date	199304
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ppt
State Reference	FO
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Widebody, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Route In Use	enroute : pacific enroute : other oceanic
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	240503
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Our flight contacted me via commercial radio and reported the #3 engine driven hydraulic pump was inoperative. I informed the crew this was a non-dispatchable item. Maintenance would have to deactivate the system per MEL. Charter flight was using air carrier B as its maintenance contact for the charter operation in tahiti. The trip returned to the gate and the pump was removed and deactivated per MEL special procedure 1. This was accomplished by air carrier B mechanic under air carrier C repair station number. The flight then departed tahiti for lax. About 1 hour later, the flight reported engine oil loss #3 position. At that point, the flight made an air turn back to tahiti. After arrival it was discovered the mechanic had not installed a drive seal drain plug as required by the deactivation procedure MEL. The plug was installed, the engine oil filters and chip detectors checked as required for oil loss inspection. After engine oil re-service the flight departed and returned to los angeles.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: IMPROPER MAINT CAUSES WDB FLT TO RETURN LAND AT TAHITI.

Narrative: OUR FLT CONTACTED ME VIA COMMERCIAL RADIO AND RPTED THE #3 ENG DRIVEN HYD PUMP WAS INOP. I INFORMED THE CREW THIS WAS A NON-DISPATCHABLE ITEM. MAINT WOULD HAVE TO DEACTIVATE THE SYS PER MEL. CHARTER FLT WAS USING ACR B AS ITS MAINT CONTACT FOR THE CHARTER OP IN TAHITI. THE TRIP RETURNED TO THE GATE AND THE PUMP WAS REMOVED AND DEACTIVATED PER MEL SPECIAL PROC 1. THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED BY ACR B MECH UNDER ACR C REPAIR STATION NUMBER. THE FLT THEN DEPARTED TAHITI FOR LAX. ABOUT 1 HR LATER, THE FLT RPTED ENG OIL LOSS #3 POS. AT THAT POINT, THE FLT MADE AN AIR TURN BACK TO TAHITI. AFTER ARR IT WAS DISCOVERED THE MECH HAD NOT INSTALLED A DRIVE SEAL DRAIN PLUG AS REQUIRED BY THE DEACTIVATION PROC MEL. THE PLUG WAS INSTALLED, THE ENG OIL FILTERS AND CHIP DETECTORS CHKED AS REQUIRED FOR OIL LOSS INSPECTION. AFTER ENG OIL RE-SVC THE FLT DEPARTED AND RETURNED TO LOS ANGELES.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.