Narrative:

Air carrier aircraft xyz, a B727-200, was at gate xa in ZZZ and would continue on to YYY. While doing a transit check, red tape was found on the exterior airstair control access door and control handle. The air carrier maintenance control office informed us the airstairs were inoperative due to a broken cable to the control handle and deferred per the B727 MEL. The maintenance control office told us to close the stairs. The control handle was inoperative. I went into the stairwell and activated the stair control valve with the broken cable to close the stairs. The stairs raised up and engaged the uplock mechanism. I visually checked the uplock rollers to make sure they were properly engaged with the uplock mechanism. The mechanics outside told me the stairs were faired with the fuselage. I exited the aircraft through the cabin. When aircraft landed in YYY, the airstairs deployed and were damaged. When I was informed the next day that the stairs deployed after landing, I was shocked. I do not know what made the stairs unlock. We should have taken extra time to make sure the stairs were deferred properly per the B727 MEL. The MEL says the stairs may be inoperative hydraulically, it does not reference broken control cables.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFT AIRSTAIRS DEFERRED AS INOP WITH BROKEN CTL CABLES IN CONFLICT WITH THE MEL.

Narrative: ACR ACFT XYZ, A B727-200, WAS AT GATE XA IN ZZZ AND WOULD CONTINUE ON TO YYY. WHILE DOING A TRANSIT CHK, RED TAPE WAS FOUND ON THE EXTERIOR AIRSTAIR CTL ACCESS DOOR AND CTL HANDLE. THE ACR MAINT CTL OFFICE INFORMED US THE AIRSTAIRS WERE INOP DUE TO A BROKEN CABLE TO THE CTL HANDLE AND DEFERRED PER THE B727 MEL. THE MAINT CTL OFFICE TOLD US TO CLOSE THE STAIRS. THE CTL HANDLE WAS INOP. I WENT INTO THE STAIRWELL AND ACTIVATED THE STAIR CTL VALVE WITH THE BROKEN CABLE TO CLOSE THE STAIRS. THE STAIRS RAISED UP AND ENGAGED THE UPLOCK MECHANISM. I VISUALLY CHKED THE UPLOCK ROLLERS TO MAKE SURE THEY WERE PROPERLY ENGAGED WITH THE UPLOCK MECHANISM. THE MECHS OUTSIDE TOLD ME THE STAIRS WERE FAIRED WITH THE FUSELAGE. I EXITED THE ACFT THROUGH THE CABIN. WHEN ACFT LANDED IN YYY, THE AIRSTAIRS DEPLOYED AND WERE DAMAGED. WHEN I WAS INFORMED THE NEXT DAY THAT THE STAIRS DEPLOYED AFTER LNDG, I WAS SHOCKED. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT MADE THE STAIRS UNLOCK. WE SHOULD HAVE TAKEN EXTRA TIME TO MAKE SURE THE STAIRS WERE DEFERRED PROPERLY PER THE B727 MEL. THE MEL SAYS THE STAIRS MAY BE INOP HYDRAULICALLY, IT DOES NOT REF BROKEN CTL CABLES.

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.