MD-82
Maintenance Powerplant; Maintenance Airframe
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Procedure; Human Factors
October 2013; fellow Mechanic; Mechanic Y and [I] were assigned a Pack Run (burn) Card 21-92-12 on an MD-82 aircraft. Upon completion of the pack burn card; Mechanic Y asked me to witness him removing caps from the Left and Right [pack] sense line 'Tee' fittings. I observed Mechanic Y remove caps and reconnect lines on both Left and Right System. [Recommend] incorporating into [Work Card] Kit two caps with red streamers to more easily see the caps still attached.
Reporter stated a Work Card for an Air Conditioning (A/C) Pack High Temperature run (burn) was accomplished as a precautionary measure because Maintenance had earlier found fluid in the APU intake of the MD-82 aircraft. The purpose of the high temp burn (run) was to check for and remove any odors or smells that may have occurred from ingestion of the foreign fluid into the APU; since bleed air from the APU is also used for operating the A/C Packs. Reporter stated there is a sign-off on the Work Card verifying removal of caps for the sense lines after completion of the Work Card. He did observe another Mechanic remove the caps; but the caps had been installed in the wrong location; which he did not know and never even thought about questioning.
Before starting [Air Condition] Pack burn [run]; I looked and did not see caps installed on sense lines. So I installed caps from my tool box on what I thought was the correct 'T' fitting on Left and Right side. Accomplished Pack Run Card 21-92-12. After pack run; I removed my caps from Left and Right [Air Conditioning Pack] 'T' fittings and reinstalled sense lines. At that time I had Mechanic X witnessed me performing this task.Recommend putting caps in [the Pack Run] Kit with red flags installed on ends.
Two Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) were informed the end caps they had installed and removed during accomplishment of a Work Card for an Air Conditioning (A/C) Pack High Temperature run (burn) on an MD-82 aircraft were not installed in the correct location for the pack run.