Narrative:

My supervisor instructed me to install a new lead acid battery in king air. I went to parts and got a gill G6381ES sealed lead acid battery. The battery had been on the shelf for a long time and required a charge. I charged battery for 2 hours while the customer waited impatiently. When the battery became fully charged; I took it to the aircraft and found a concorde RG380E/44 sealed lead acid battery. The compartment had not been altered to accept a lead acid battery. It was configured to vent the original nicad by circulating vent air through the battery. It should have had 2 vent tubes through the wing; one scarfed to let air in and one scarfed to allow air out. I didn't see the logbooks or any other records and the customer would not allow time to correct the problem. I'm not sure there is a 337 filed or stc filed with the FAA for this aircraft to have a lead acid battery. I don't view this as an urgent safety issue since the batteries involved are sealed and non spillable; however; they do require proper venting of hydrogen gas. This aircraft needs to be configured properly to run a lead acid battery. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated being the shop foreman he did not deal directly with the customer. The technician installing the replacement sealed lead acid battery was getting pressure from the customer to get the battery installed right away. The customer was in transit and was in a hurry. After departure of the aircraft; the technician related the configuration of the battery compartment and it appeared the vent tubes were not installed per the stc for lead acid battery operation. The reporter is not certain the technician mentioned the battery configuration to the customer operator.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE300 MAIN SHIP'S SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERY WAS REPLACED WITH ANOTHER SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERY OF PROPER SPECS. IT WAS DISCOVERED THIS AIRPLANE WAS NOT CONFIGURED FOR LEAD ACID BATTERIES. MISSING VENT TUBES INSTALLED ON STC.

Narrative: MY SUPVR INSTRUCTED ME TO INSTALL A NEW LEAD ACID BATTERY IN KING AIR. I WENT TO PARTS AND GOT A GILL G6381ES SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERY. THE BATTERY HAD BEEN ON THE SHELF FOR A LONG TIME AND REQUIRED A CHARGE. I CHARGED BATTERY FOR 2 HRS WHILE THE CUSTOMER WAITED IMPATIENTLY. WHEN THE BATTERY BECAME FULLY CHARGED; I TOOK IT TO THE ACFT AND FOUND A CONCORDE RG380E/44 SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERY. THE COMPARTMENT HAD NOT BEEN ALTERED TO ACCEPT A LEAD ACID BATTERY. IT WAS CONFIGURED TO VENT THE ORIGINAL NICAD BY CIRCULATING VENT AIR THROUGH THE BATTERY. IT SHOULD HAVE HAD 2 VENT TUBES THROUGH THE WING; ONE SCARFED TO LET AIR IN AND ONE SCARFED TO ALLOW AIR OUT. I DIDN'T SEE THE LOGBOOKS OR ANY OTHER RECORDS AND THE CUSTOMER WOULD NOT ALLOW TIME TO CORRECT THE PROB. I'M NOT SURE THERE IS A 337 FILED OR STC FILED WITH THE FAA FOR THIS ACFT TO HAVE A LEAD ACID BATTERY. I DON'T VIEW THIS AS AN URGENT SAFETY ISSUE SINCE THE BATTERIES INVOLVED ARE SEALED AND NON SPILLABLE; HOWEVER; THEY DO REQUIRE PROPER VENTING OF HYDROGEN GAS. THIS ACFT NEEDS TO BE CONFIGURED PROPERLY TO RUN A LEAD ACID BATTERY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED BEING THE SHOP FOREMAN HE DID NOT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE CUSTOMER. THE TECHNICIAN INSTALLING THE REPLACEMENT SEALED LEAD ACID BATTERY WAS GETTING PRESSURE FROM THE CUSTOMER TO GET THE BATTERY INSTALLED RIGHT AWAY. THE CUSTOMER WAS IN TRANSIT AND WAS IN A HURRY. AFTER DEP OF THE ACFT; THE TECHNICIAN RELATED THE CONFIGURATION OF THE BATTERY COMPARTMENT AND IT APPEARED THE VENT TUBES WERE NOT INSTALLED PER THE STC FOR LEAD ACID BATTERY OPERATION. THE REPORTER IS NOT CERTAIN THE TECHNICIAN MENTIONED THE BATTERY CONFIGURATION TO THE CUSTOMER OPERATOR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.