Return land. - NASA ASRS

Attributes
ACN	295272
Time
Date	199502
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : sfo
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : sfo tower : pdx
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-10 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	other other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	295272
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Chart Or Publication
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was involved with an in-flight incident on feb/wed/95 flight X DC10-30 aircraft Y that had primary flight control problems with elevators and horizontal system failure. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter is a mechanic for a major us air carrier. His task was to change a load feel mechanism in the tail of a dc-10-30. A torque tube was installed 120 degrees out of phase. There are no index marks on the torque tube assembly. There was no flight check required, and operations check was not done as the tail cone was down. No operations check was specifically required by the factory supplied maintenance manual. The reporter was interviewed by the FAA. No action was taken because he had done all that was required by the maintenance manual. The FAA determined that the maintenance manual was defective. The control problem was found after liftoff when the flight crew had a split elevator requiring 6 degrees aileron trim to level the wings. The aircraft had to return/land.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RETURN LAND.

Narrative: I WAS INVOLVED WITH AN INFLT INCIDENT ON FEB/WED/95 FLT X DC10-30 ACFT Y THAT HAD PRIMARY FLT CTL PROBS WITH ELEVATORS AND HORIZ SYS FAILURE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR IS A MECH FOR A MAJOR US ACR. HIS TASK WAS TO CHANGE A LOAD FEEL MECHANISM IN THE TAIL OF A DC-10-30. A TORQUE TUBE WAS INSTALLED 120 DEGS OUT OF PHASE. THERE ARE NO INDEX MARKS ON THE TORQUE TUBE ASSEMBLY. THERE WAS NO FLT CHK REQUIRED, AND OPS CHK WAS NOT DONE AS THE TAIL CONE WAS DOWN. NO OPS CHK WAS SPECIFICALLY REQUIRED BY THE FACTORY SUPPLIED MAINT MANUAL. THE RPTR WAS INTERVIEWED BY THE FAA. NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BECAUSE HE HAD DONE ALL THAT WAS REQUIRED BY THE MAINT MANUAL. THE FAA DETERMINED THAT THE MAINT MANUAL WAS DEFECTIVE. THE CTL PROB WAS FOUND AFTER LIFTOFF WHEN THE FLC HAD A SPLIT ELEVATOR REQUIRING 6 DEGS AILERON TRIM TO LEVEL THE WINGS. THE ACFT HAD TO RETURN/LAND.

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.