A maintenance supervisor reports the results of pushing the wrong button for the overhead ground pow...

Attributes
ACN	777042
Time
Date	200803
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
ASRS Report	777042
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : company policies
Independent Detector	other other : 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Pushed wrong button on overhead power cord and damaged ground power receptacle. More than one person may be needed to verify the correct pole switch is being activated. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated electric power was already disconnected; but the cord was still connected and already raised; leaving little room for any further cord movement. Reporter stated he pushed the external ground power cord automatic retract button by accident; and as a result; the electric reel started retracting the power cord that was still attached to the aircraft; bending the aircraft's receptacle pins and cracking the phenolic insulator base; before he could stop the reel. Reporter also stated this button switch is not supposed to be activated whenever the ground power cord is still connected to the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MAINT SUPERVISOR REPORTS THE RESULTS OF PUSHING THE WRONG BUTTON FOR THE OVERHEAD GROUND POWER CORD DAMAGING THE B737-300 GROUND POWER RECEPTACLE.

Narrative: PUSHED WRONG BUTTON ON OVERHEAD PWR CORD AND DAMAGED GND PWR RECEPTACLE. MORE THAN ONE PERSON MAY BE NEEDED TO VERIFY THE CORRECT POLE SWITCH IS BEING ACTIVATED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED ELECTRIC POWER WAS ALREADY DISCONNECTED; BUT THE CORD WAS STILL CONNECTED AND ALREADY RAISED; LEAVING LITTLE ROOM FOR ANY FURTHER CORD MOVEMENT. REPORTER STATED HE PUSHED THE EXTERNAL GROUND POWER CORD AUTO RETRACT BUTTON BY ACCIDENT; AND AS A RESULT; THE ELECTRIC REEL STARTED RETRACTING THE POWER CORD THAT WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT; BENDING THE ACFT'S RECEPTACLE PINS AND CRACKING THE PHENOLIC INSULATOR BASE; BEFORE HE COULD STOP THE REEL. REPORTER ALSO STATED THIS BUTTON SWITCH IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE ACTIVATED WHENEVER THE GROUND POWER CORD IS STILL CONNECTED TO THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.

A maintenance supervisor reports the results of pushing the wrong button for the overhead ground power cord damaging the B737-300 ground power receptacle.