Narrative:

Oct/sun/04 I was assigned to air carrier X and there was a re-inspection of speed tapes on the l-hand aileron that I had to do. The reference that I had was an engineering authority/authorized and srm 51-02 page 4 and 5. According to the engineering authority/authorized there is nothing for me to re-inspect because the first part is to re-inspect the damage area every 50 flight hours, and the second part is to address the area during or before the next heavy check. The work card calls out for a daily re-inspection on the speed tapes applied to those areas. So, that drives me to the second reference srm 51-02 page 4 and 5. I accomplished the daily visual inspection portion, which was good. However, under 1.B(4) item D there is a note that reads, 'if taped surface is exposed to bad WX conditions, inspect it before each flight.' it was raining all morning so I called maintenance control to see if there was any way to address this issue in the above condition. That means doing it every flight depending on the WX. I talked to maintenance controller and he didn't have an answer. Basically, there is no deferral code for this kind of situation, is what I was told. The other issue is on friday all 3 re-inspections were updated as strictly using the engineering authority/authorized and that the speed tapes were removed. That didn't happen and if it did, it totally changes the re-inspect interval to 50 hours -- not for the security of the tapes, but for additional loss of paint. This doesn't make any sense. Between maintenance control and engineering trying to sort out this issue, they came up with nothing and I was told that maintenance control will track the WX issue. As far as I am concerned, the flight leg I did was ok but there has to be a way to deal with the WX issue and re-inspect it every leg. I don't believe maintenance control will track and schedule every time the WX condition changes. Later on, I found out that there are 2 versions of the engineering authority/authorized -- revision a and revision B. The first revision states that the subject area has to be addressed within 50 flight hours, and the second states to re-inspect the area every 50 hours and a permanent fix at the next heavy maintenance visit. Revision B was issued on oct/fri, and that was the copy that was e-mailed to me. However, revision a was issued on jan/tue, so obviously revision a was used until oct/fri and the original write-up was the sep/thu. So, between sep/thu and oct/fri, revision a was applicable and I am sure the aircraft flew more than 50 hours by then, so it should have been addressed per srm 57-50-1. There is no documentation to address any repair per srm 57-50-1. Supplemental information from acn 635140: on oct/wed/04 I received a work card indicating 3 separate items to inspect paint missing on the left aileron control tab and trim tab.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH PAINT PEELING FROM THE L AILERON, AILERON TAB AND AILERON TRIM TAB.

Narrative: OCT/SUN/04 I WAS ASSIGNED TO ACR X AND THERE WAS A RE-INSPECTION OF SPD TAPES ON THE L-HAND AILERON THAT I HAD TO DO. THE REF THAT I HAD WAS AN ENGINEERING AUTH AND SRM 51-02 PAGE 4 AND 5. ACCORDING TO THE ENGINEERING AUTH THERE IS NOTHING FOR ME TO RE-INSPECT BECAUSE THE FIRST PART IS TO RE-INSPECT THE DAMAGE AREA EVERY 50 FLT HRS, AND THE SECOND PART IS TO ADDRESS THE AREA DURING OR BEFORE THE NEXT HVY CHK. THE WORK CARD CALLS OUT FOR A DAILY RE-INSPECTION ON THE SPD TAPES APPLIED TO THOSE AREAS. SO, THAT DRIVES ME TO THE SECOND REF SRM 51-02 PAGE 4 AND 5. I ACCOMPLISHED THE DAILY VISUAL INSPECTION PORTION, WHICH WAS GOOD. HOWEVER, UNDER 1.B(4) ITEM D THERE IS A NOTE THAT READS, 'IF TAPED SURFACE IS EXPOSED TO BAD WX CONDITIONS, INSPECT IT BEFORE EACH FLT.' IT WAS RAINING ALL MORNING SO I CALLED MAINT CTL TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY WAY TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE IN THE ABOVE CONDITION. THAT MEANS DOING IT EVERY FLT DEPENDING ON THE WX. I TALKED TO MAINT CTLR AND HE DIDN'T HAVE AN ANSWER. BASICALLY, THERE IS NO DEFERRAL CODE FOR THIS KIND OF SIT, IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. THE OTHER ISSUE IS ON FRIDAY ALL 3 RE-INSPECTIONS WERE UPDATED AS STRICTLY USING THE ENGINEERING AUTH AND THAT THE SPD TAPES WERE REMOVED. THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN AND IF IT DID, IT TOTALLY CHANGES THE RE-INSPECT INTERVAL TO 50 HRS -- NOT FOR THE SECURITY OF THE TAPES, BUT FOR ADDITIONAL LOSS OF PAINT. THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. BTWN MAINT CTL AND ENGINEERING TRYING TO SORT OUT THIS ISSUE, THEY CAME UP WITH NOTHING AND I WAS TOLD THAT MAINT CTL WILL TRACK THE WX ISSUE. AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED, THE FLT LEG I DID WAS OK BUT THERE HAS TO BE A WAY TO DEAL WITH THE WX ISSUE AND RE-INSPECT IT EVERY LEG. I DON'T BELIEVE MAINT CTL WILL TRACK AND SCHEDULE EVERY TIME THE WX CONDITION CHANGES. LATER ON, I FOUND OUT THAT THERE ARE 2 VERSIONS OF THE ENGINEERING AUTH -- REVISION A AND REVISION B. THE FIRST REVISION STATES THAT THE SUBJECT AREA HAS TO BE ADDRESSED WITHIN 50 FLT HRS, AND THE SECOND STATES TO RE-INSPECT THE AREA EVERY 50 HRS AND A PERMANENT FIX AT THE NEXT HVY MAINT VISIT. REVISION B WAS ISSUED ON OCT/FRI, AND THAT WAS THE COPY THAT WAS E-MAILED TO ME. HOWEVER, REVISION A WAS ISSUED ON JAN/TUE, SO OBVIOUSLY REVISION A WAS USED UNTIL OCT/FRI AND THE ORIGINAL WRITE-UP WAS THE SEP/THU. SO, BTWN SEP/THU AND OCT/FRI, REVISION A WAS APPLICABLE AND I AM SURE THE ACFT FLEW MORE THAN 50 HRS BY THEN, SO IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED PER SRM 57-50-1. THERE IS NO DOCUMENTATION TO ADDRESS ANY REPAIR PER SRM 57-50-1. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 635140: ON OCT/WED/04 I RECEIVED A WORK CARD INDICATING 3 SEPARATE ITEMS TO INSPECT PAINT MISSING ON THE L AILERON CTL TAB AND TRIM TAB.

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.