Narrative:

After installation and inspection of tail evacuate/evacuation slide, aircraft was in hangar to accomplish other work for 5 additional days, and operated in service for 30 days until above event took place. All items of installation and inspection were accomplished per air carrier work card xyz-xyz on sep/xx/97. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the slide installation was inspected by the reporter at a 'C' check and the installation and inspection was done in accordance with the check job card. The reporter said that when the 'C' check was accomplished the aircraft was moved to another hangar for 5 more days of work. The reporter said the aircraft was then released for service and operated for about 1 month when this incident occurred. The reporter stated the emergency exit handle was found partially engaged to the right and the door operating handle was to the open position which resulted in the tailcone falling off. The reporter related the escape slide automatic deploy lanyard was found not connected so the escape slide could not deploy automatically. The reporter said the job cards for the slide removal, slide installation, including 2 types of slides, slide routine checks and slide mount repair are not consistent, concise or clear. The reporter said the air carrier is now working to clean up the job card problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WHILE BEING TOWED IN TO A GATE IN A TURN THE TAILCONE FELL OFF AND THE REAR DOOR ESCAPE SLIDE DID NOT DEPLOY.

Narrative: AFTER INSTALLATION AND INSPECTION OF TAIL EVAC SLIDE, ACFT WAS IN HANGAR TO ACCOMPLISH OTHER WORK FOR 5 ADDITIONAL DAYS, AND OPERATED IN SVC FOR 30 DAYS UNTIL ABOVE EVENT TOOK PLACE. ALL ITEMS OF INSTALLATION AND INSPECTION WERE ACCOMPLISHED PER ACR WORK CARD XYZ-XYZ ON SEP/XX/97. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE SLIDE INSTALLATION WAS INSPECTED BY THE RPTR AT A 'C' CHK AND THE INSTALLATION AND INSPECTION WAS DONE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CHK JOB CARD. THE RPTR SAID THAT WHEN THE 'C' CHK WAS ACCOMPLISHED THE ACFT WAS MOVED TO ANOTHER HANGAR FOR 5 MORE DAYS OF WORK. THE RPTR SAID THE ACFT WAS THEN RELEASED FOR SVC AND OPERATED FOR ABOUT 1 MONTH WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED. THE RPTR STATED THE EMER EXIT HANDLE WAS FOUND PARTIALLY ENGAGED TO THE R AND THE DOOR OPERATING HANDLE WAS TO THE OPEN POS WHICH RESULTED IN THE TAILCONE FALLING OFF. THE RPTR RELATED THE ESCAPE SLIDE AUTO DEPLOY LANYARD WAS FOUND NOT CONNECTED SO THE ESCAPE SLIDE COULD NOT DEPLOY AUTOMATICALLY. THE RPTR SAID THE JOB CARDS FOR THE SLIDE REMOVAL, SLIDE INSTALLATION, INCLUDING 2 TYPES OF SLIDES, SLIDE ROUTINE CHKS AND SLIDE MOUNT REPAIR ARE NOT CONSISTENT, CONCISE OR CLR. THE RPTR SAID THE ACR IS NOW WORKING TO CLEAN UP THE JOB CARD PROB.

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.