Narrative:

While working an inbound flight, a B767-300, a team of 2 FAA inspectors, found a nosewheel steering cable turn-barrel and fitting bent. The fitting was slightly bent in the mid shank portion before it screws into the brass barrel. I inspected the turnbuckle assembly for cracking, corrosion, proper safety and the swaged portion where the cable wire is actually inserted into the end fitting. Nothing was out of the normal. The actual bent portion of the shank appeared less than 2 degrees from the horizontal plane. 2 degrees is the limit allowed per the boeing manual. Using my judgement and experience of many yrs maintaining and making up cables of all types, I straightened the shank with my hand until it was perfectly in line with the turn-barrel. A log entry was made covering accomplishment of the work. I mentally noted it is not unusual to see small diameter cable end fittings slightly bent either from shop manufacturer or from pulling safety wire into position. I also noted that sometimes while passing cables through guards, air seals, fair leads, etc, cable ends do bend slightly. The material is a stainless steel that is fairly soft, but extremely tough. The end result was I should have measured the end fitting with a protractor first. I would have known the proper action to take. The air carrier took that aircraft out OTS and changed that cable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A NOSE GEAR STEERING GEAR TURN BARREL BENT. LATER REMOVED FROM SVC FOR CABLE REPLACEMENT.

Narrative: WHILE WORKING AN INBOUND FLT, A B767-300, A TEAM OF 2 FAA INSPECTORS, FOUND A NOSEWHEEL STEERING CABLE TURN-BARREL AND FITTING BENT. THE FITTING WAS SLIGHTLY BENT IN THE MID SHANK PORTION BEFORE IT SCREWS INTO THE BRASS BARREL. I INSPECTED THE TURNBUCKLE ASSEMBLY FOR CRACKING, CORROSION, PROPER SAFETY AND THE SWAGED PORTION WHERE THE CABLE WIRE IS ACTUALLY INSERTED INTO THE END FITTING. NOTHING WAS OUT OF THE NORMAL. THE ACTUAL BENT PORTION OF THE SHANK APPEARED LESS THAN 2 DEGS FROM THE HORIZ PLANE. 2 DEGS IS THE LIMIT ALLOWED PER THE BOEING MANUAL. USING MY JUDGEMENT AND EXPERIENCE OF MANY YRS MAINTAINING AND MAKING UP CABLES OF ALL TYPES, I STRAIGHTENED THE SHANK WITH MY HAND UNTIL IT WAS PERFECTLY IN LINE WITH THE TURN-BARREL. A LOG ENTRY WAS MADE COVERING ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE WORK. I MENTALLY NOTED IT IS NOT UNUSUAL TO SEE SMALL DIAMETER CABLE END FITTINGS SLIGHTLY BENT EITHER FROM SHOP MANUFACTURER OR FROM PULLING SAFETY WIRE INTO POS. I ALSO NOTED THAT SOMETIMES WHILE PASSING CABLES THROUGH GUARDS, AIR SEALS, FAIR LEADS, ETC, CABLE ENDS DO BEND SLIGHTLY. THE MATERIAL IS A STAINLESS STEEL THAT IS FAIRLY SOFT, BUT EXTREMELY TOUGH. THE END RESULT WAS I SHOULD HAVE MEASURED THE END FITTING WITH A PROTRACTOR FIRST. I WOULD HAVE KNOWN THE PROPER ACTION TO TAKE. THE ACR TOOK THAT ACFT OUT OTS AND CHANGED THAT CABLE.

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.