Narrative:

This is a general safety report concerning the repacking of landing gear struts for saab aircraft. The following are my concerns: starting first with training bulletin this was meant to inform and remind maintenance personnel of an error made when installing a busak shamban seal. The training bulletin still leaves question as to interpretation as to the position of the seal; the figure could be clearer. It also states a maintenance procedure and fails to list a maintenance reference. The maintenance procedure states to heat the seal in hydraulic fluid to 30-40 degrees for 1-2 mins. It is unclr if the temperature is in celsius or fahrenheit. The gpm chapter covering the rii list is unclr if the strut repack is an rii item. Please note the improper servicing of a strut can cause a failure of the gear to lock. The saab amm and work cards call out for a retraction check after repacking the strut. Please note the work cards for the maintenance call out for a retraction check and is marked rii on the work card. Also the work cards need to be revised to match the saab maintenance manual. A lot of thought went into the preparation and closeout of the work card; but the work cards need to address in further detail and break up the steps to ensure that the strut is assembled correctly. If it is found that the seal repack is rii'ed then the proper steps need to be added to match the rii procedures. The work card to repack a nose strut states to repack per the maintenance manual. Engineering tech note needs to be revised to improve the engineering tech note. The figures and data could be clearer; also it differs from the amm.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A SAAB 340 HAD A MAIN LNDG GEAR STRUT SEAL INSTALLED INCORRECTLY. TECHNICIAN MAKES SUGGESTION TO REQUIRE STRUT SEAL BE A REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEM AND REVISE THE JOB CARDS.

Narrative: THIS IS A GENERAL SAFETY RPT CONCERNING THE REPACKING OF LNDG GEAR STRUTS FOR SAAB ACFT. THE FOLLOWING ARE MY CONCERNS: STARTING FIRST WITH TRAINING BULLETIN THIS WAS MEANT TO INFORM AND REMIND MAINT PERSONNEL OF AN ERROR MADE WHEN INSTALLING A BUSAK SHAMBAN SEAL. THE TRAINING BULLETIN STILL LEAVES QUESTION AS TO INTERP AS TO THE POS OF THE SEAL; THE FIGURE COULD BE CLEARER. IT ALSO STATES A MAINT PROC AND FAILS TO LIST A MAINT REF. THE MAINT PROC STATES TO HEAT THE SEAL IN HYD FLUID TO 30-40 DEGS FOR 1-2 MINS. IT IS UNCLR IF THE TEMP IS IN CELSIUS OR FAHRENHEIT. THE GPM CHAPTER COVERING THE RII LIST IS UNCLR IF THE STRUT REPACK IS AN RII ITEM. PLEASE NOTE THE IMPROPER SVCING OF A STRUT CAN CAUSE A FAILURE OF THE GEAR TO LOCK. THE SAAB AMM AND WORK CARDS CALL OUT FOR A RETRACTION CHK AFTER REPACKING THE STRUT. PLEASE NOTE THE WORK CARDS FOR THE MAINT CALL OUT FOR A RETRACTION CHK AND IS MARKED RII ON THE WORK CARD. ALSO THE WORK CARDS NEED TO BE REVISED TO MATCH THE SAAB MAINT MANUAL. A LOT OF THOUGHT WENT INTO THE PREPARATION AND CLOSEOUT OF THE WORK CARD; BUT THE WORK CARDS NEED TO ADDRESS IN FURTHER DETAIL AND BREAK UP THE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT THE STRUT IS ASSEMBLED CORRECTLY. IF IT IS FOUND THAT THE SEAL REPACK IS RII'ED THEN THE PROPER STEPS NEED TO BE ADDED TO MATCH THE RII PROCS. THE WORK CARD TO REPACK A NOSE STRUT STATES TO REPACK PER THE MAINT MANUAL. ENGINEERING TECH NOTE NEEDS TO BE REVISED TO IMPROVE THE ENGINEERING TECH NOTE. THE FIGURES AND DATA COULD BE CLEARER; ALSO IT DIFFERS FROM THE AMM.

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.