Narrative:

I was instructed to take aircraft X to the gate. I had noticed that the overwing exits were not installed. At the time I was being rushed, so I took it upon myself to reinstall them since no one knew why they were removed. I went to where they were placed and they were set down in no particular order. So I installed them and had difficulty, but I thought they were in the right location. They were latched so I didn't give it a second thought. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the technician, before taking the airplane to the gate, checked the paperwork and found no open reports and the maintenance release was signed. The reporter said 4 overwing emergency exit doors were found open and not installed and not even on the airplane. The doors were located piled up on the hangar floor with no documentation on removal. He installed the doors and delivered the airplane to the gate. The incorrect installation was noted by passenger that reported armrests were not located near the seats.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH OVERWING EMER EXIT DOORS INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. DISCOVERED BY PAX WHO NOTED SEAT ARMRESTS WERE NOT IN THE CORRECT LOCATIONS.

Narrative: I WAS INSTRUCTED TO TAKE ACFT X TO THE GATE. I HAD NOTICED THAT THE OVERWING EXITS WERE NOT INSTALLED. AT THE TIME I WAS BEING RUSHED, SO I TOOK IT UPON MYSELF TO REINSTALL THEM SINCE NO ONE KNEW WHY THEY WERE REMOVED. I WENT TO WHERE THEY WERE PLACED AND THEY WERE SET DOWN IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER. SO I INSTALLED THEM AND HAD DIFFICULTY, BUT I THOUGHT THEY WERE IN THE RIGHT LOCATION. THEY WERE LATCHED SO I DIDN'T GIVE IT A SECOND THOUGHT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE TECHNICIAN, BEFORE TAKING THE AIRPLANE TO THE GATE, CHKED THE PAPERWORK AND FOUND NO OPEN RPTS AND THE MAINT RELEASE WAS SIGNED. THE RPTR SAID 4 OVERWING EMER EXIT DOORS WERE FOUND OPEN AND NOT INSTALLED AND NOT EVEN ON THE AIRPLANE. THE DOORS WERE LOCATED PILED UP ON THE HANGAR FLOOR WITH NO DOCUMENTATION ON REMOVAL. HE INSTALLED THE DOORS AND DELIVERED THE AIRPLANE TO THE GATE. THE INCORRECT INSTALLATION WAS NOTED BY PAX THAT RPTED ARMRESTS WERE NOT LOCATED NEAR THE SEATS.

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.