Narrative:

While installing an stc system in an MD80, it became apparent that the stc holder had not completely research the installation. This issue led to repeated installations, removals, modifications to reinstallation of wire harnesses and components. The removal and modification was not documented. Repeated installation and removal damaged some wires in the harness which were replaced without documentation. Signed work cards were re-issued without documenting the status of the previously signed work cards. Work was assigned that references engineering drawings that were unavailable at the time of the assignment. Work was accomplished via verbal instruction from the engineering department. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the prototype job started in january to install the smith 2000 system glass cockpit, global positioning, and other flight management upgrades. The reporter said the vendor that owned the supplemental type certificate supplied no job cards or wire diagrams and the job cards were written as the work progressed. The reporter stated the vendor copied the wire diagrams from a simulator which later was found not wired as the actual airplane. By the middle of mar/04, 1800 changes had been made to the job cards. The reporter said when wire bundles were installed and testing began, the software was found wrong and wire bundles were removed for changes with wires removed and added. The reporter stated a number of wires had 1 wire number on one end and a different wire number on the other end and 1 major wire bundle was removed and reinstalled 3 times. The reporter said when the cockpit instrument displays arrived, the units were too large for the space allotted on the instrument panel. Callback conversation with reporter acn 612024 revealed the following information: reporter stated this modification was poorly planned with little or no documentation, wire diagrams incorrect or not available, and job cards being corrected as the job is worked. The reporter said wire bundles that are made up don't fit the airplane and one was removed and installed 3 times. The reporter stated since the job started in january, 1800 job cards and wire diagram changes had been made up through march. The reporter said the fire wire diagrams were delivered in march and for a project that involves 800 wires, it will be a big assist.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 TECHNICIAN RPTS WORKING A PROTOTYPE STC MODIFICATION TO INSTALL AN SDS 2000 GLASS COCKPIT SYS IS BEING WORKED WITH LITTLE OR NO DOCUMENTATION.

Narrative: WHILE INSTALLING AN STC SYS IN AN MD80, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT THE STC HOLDER HAD NOT COMPLETELY RESEARCH THE INSTALLATION. THIS ISSUE LED TO REPEATED INSTALLATIONS, REMOVALS, MODIFICATIONS TO REINSTALLATION OF WIRE HARNESSES AND COMPONENTS. THE REMOVAL AND MODIFICATION WAS NOT DOCUMENTED. REPEATED INSTALLATION AND REMOVAL DAMAGED SOME WIRES IN THE HARNESS WHICH WERE REPLACED WITHOUT DOCUMENTATION. SIGNED WORK CARDS WERE RE-ISSUED WITHOUT DOCUMENTING THE STATUS OF THE PREVIOUSLY SIGNED WORK CARDS. WORK WAS ASSIGNED THAT REFS ENGINEERING DRAWINGS THAT WERE UNAVAILABLE AT THE TIME OF THE ASSIGNMENT. WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED VIA VERBAL INSTRUCTION FROM THE ENGINEERING DEPT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PROTOTYPE JOB STARTED IN JANUARY TO INSTALL THE SMITH 2000 SYS GLASS COCKPIT, GLOBAL POSITIONING, AND OTHER FLT MGMNT UPGRADES. THE RPTR SAID THE VENDOR THAT OWNED THE SUPPLEMENTAL TYPE CERTIFICATE SUPPLIED NO JOB CARDS OR WIRE DIAGRAMS AND THE JOB CARDS WERE WRITTEN AS THE WORK PROGRESSED. THE RPTR STATED THE VENDOR COPIED THE WIRE DIAGRAMS FROM A SIMULATOR WHICH LATER WAS FOUND NOT WIRED AS THE ACTUAL AIRPLANE. BY THE MIDDLE OF MAR/04, 1800 CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE TO THE JOB CARDS. THE RPTR SAID WHEN WIRE BUNDLES WERE INSTALLED AND TESTING BEGAN, THE SOFTWARE WAS FOUND WRONG AND WIRE BUNDLES WERE REMOVED FOR CHANGES WITH WIRES REMOVED AND ADDED. THE RPTR STATED A NUMBER OF WIRES HAD 1 WIRE NUMBER ON ONE END AND A DIFFERENT WIRE NUMBER ON THE OTHER END AND 1 MAJOR WIRE BUNDLE WAS REMOVED AND REINSTALLED 3 TIMES. THE RPTR SAID WHEN THE COCKPIT INST DISPLAYS ARRIVED, THE UNITS WERE TOO LARGE FOR THE SPACE ALLOTTED ON THE INST PANEL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 612024 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS MODIFICATION WAS POORLY PLANNED WITH LITTLE OR NO DOCUMENTATION, WIRE DIAGRAMS INCORRECT OR NOT AVAILABLE, AND JOB CARDS BEING CORRECTED AS THE JOB IS WORKED. THE RPTR SAID WIRE BUNDLES THAT ARE MADE UP DON'T FIT THE AIRPLANE AND ONE WAS REMOVED AND INSTALLED 3 TIMES. THE RPTR STATED SINCE THE JOB STARTED IN JANUARY, 1800 JOB CARDS AND WIRE DIAGRAM CHANGES HAD BEEN MADE UP THROUGH MARCH. THE RPTR SAID THE FIRE WIRE DIAGRAMS WERE DELIVERED IN MARCH AND FOR A PROJECT THAT INVOLVES 800 WIRES, IT WILL BE A BIG ASSIST.

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.