Narrative:

I worked a routine card that said refurbish flight attendant seats. The seats had numerous non routine cards also and were repainted; assembled and installed on aircraft when I got the card. The routine card is very vague. Most have figures and detailed instructions. Step 1E of job card said only (replace seat mounted placards). I replaced the handset placards but did not notice if flashlight; life-vest; inboard seat must be occupied; taxi; takeoff and landing were installed. The doubt came to me when we started working the next aircraft. I notified the maintenance desk immediately. They took the part numbers for the placards in question and said they would have someone inspect the seats and install placards if required. Submitted card change request to add part numbers and locations of required placards. I had never seen required (FAA) placards referred to as (seat mounted) placards and thought they were talking about the in-flight entertainment and handset placards which were handed to me with the cards. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated his carrier's engineering department responded the same day and issued improved drawings showing the locations of the required placards.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECHANIC EXPLAINS HOW HE HAD NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN A VAGUE ROUTINE JOB CARD FOR A B737-800 REQUIRING (FAA) PLACARDS REFERRED TO AS 'SEAT MOUNTED' PLACARDS. HE DID NOT INSTALL THE REQUIRED SEAT PLACARDS.

Narrative: I WORKED A ROUTINE CARD THAT SAID REFURBISH FLT ATTENDANT SEATS. THE SEATS HAD NUMEROUS NON ROUTINE CARDS ALSO AND WERE REPAINTED; ASSEMBLED AND INSTALLED ON ACFT WHEN I GOT THE CARD. THE ROUTINE CARD IS VERY VAGUE. MOST HAVE FIGURES AND DETAILED INSTRUCTIONS. STEP 1E OF JOB CARD SAID ONLY (REPLACE SEAT MOUNTED PLACARDS). I REPLACED THE HANDSET PLACARDS BUT DID NOT NOTICE IF FLASHLIGHT; LIFE-VEST; INBOARD SEAT MUST BE OCCUPIED; TAXI; TKOF AND LNDG WERE INSTALLED. THE DOUBT CAME TO ME WHEN WE STARTED WORKING THE NEXT ACFT. I NOTIFIED THE MAINT DESK IMMEDIATELY. THEY TOOK THE PART NUMBERS FOR THE PLACARDS IN QUESTION AND SAID THEY WOULD HAVE SOMEONE INSPECT THE SEATS AND INSTALL PLACARDS IF REQUIRED. SUBMITTED CARD CHANGE REQUEST TO ADD PART NUMBERS AND LOCATIONS OF REQUIRED PLACARDS. I HAD NEVER SEEN REQUIRED (FAA) PLACARDS REFERRED TO AS (SEAT MOUNTED) PLACARDS AND THOUGHT THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE INFLT ENTERTAINMENT AND HANDSET PLACARDS WHICH WERE HANDED TO ME WITH THE CARDS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HIS CARRIER'S ENGINEERING DEPT RESPONDED THE SAME DAY AND ISSUED IMPROVED DRAWINGS SHOWING THE LOCATIONS OF THE REQUIRED PLACARDS.

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.