Narrative:

Arrived at gate late due to WX while performing turnaround duties, a local FAA maintenance inspector came to the cockpit and told me I 'needed to look at my aft lavatory.' when asked why, he said it was leaking. Since we had been well briefed by our company concerning the dangers of frozen blue water, I went to inspect the aft lavatory service panel and surrounding fuselage area. The fuselage had some very minor streaking which was very discolored, and evidently very old. There was some minor dripping from around the drain valve stopper, but no evidence of blue water flow. I checked with the ramp supervisor, who told me the lavatory had just been svced, and that what I saw was very common following servicing. I told the FAA inspector I saw no problem. He questioned my observation, at which point I asked if he was either demanding further action or grounding the aircraft. He replied, 'it's your call.' I then told the ramp supervisor to redump and resvc the lavatory, and we would then inspect for any leaking. This was done and a visual inspection revealed no evidence of any leaking or dripping. The FAA inspector had left the scene, and finding nothing wrong, I decided to continue. I have since been informed the stl FAA maintenance wants to file an investigation. Our poi fully supports my actions. As I mentioned earlier, our company has fully informed us all about problems which can develop with frozen blue water, so there would be no question about continuing in the face of a leak. I'm surprised the stl FAA maintenance inspector would leave the scene before the problem was resolved if he really thought safety was involved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA INSPECTOR CATCHES A POSSIBLE ACFT MAINT DISCREPANCY DURING RAMP INSPECTION.

Narrative: ARRIVED AT GATE LATE DUE TO WX WHILE PERFORMING TURNAROUND DUTIES, A LCL FAA MAINT INSPECTOR CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND TOLD ME I 'NEEDED TO LOOK AT MY AFT LAVATORY.' WHEN ASKED WHY, HE SAID IT WAS LEAKING. SINCE WE HAD BEEN WELL BRIEFED BY OUR COMPANY CONCERNING THE DANGERS OF FROZEN BLUE WATER, I WENT TO INSPECT THE AFT LAVATORY SVC PANEL AND SURROUNDING FUSELAGE AREA. THE FUSELAGE HAD SOME VERY MINOR STREAKING WHICH WAS VERY DISCOLORED, AND EVIDENTLY VERY OLD. THERE WAS SOME MINOR DRIPPING FROM AROUND THE DRAIN VALVE STOPPER, BUT NO EVIDENCE OF BLUE WATER FLOW. I CHKED WITH THE RAMP SUPVR, WHO TOLD ME THE LAVATORY HAD JUST BEEN SVCED, AND THAT WHAT I SAW WAS VERY COMMON FOLLOWING SVCING. I TOLD THE FAA INSPECTOR I SAW NO PROB. HE QUESTIONED MY OBSERVATION, AT WHICH POINT I ASKED IF HE WAS EITHER DEMANDING FURTHER ACTION OR GNDING THE ACFT. HE REPLIED, 'IT'S YOUR CALL.' I THEN TOLD THE RAMP SUPVR TO REDUMP AND RESVC THE LAVATORY, AND WE WOULD THEN INSPECT FOR ANY LEAKING. THIS WAS DONE AND A VISUAL INSPECTION REVEALED NO EVIDENCE OF ANY LEAKING OR DRIPPING. THE FAA INSPECTOR HAD LEFT THE SCENE, AND FINDING NOTHING WRONG, I DECIDED TO CONTINUE. I HAVE SINCE BEEN INFORMED THE STL FAA MAINT WANTS TO FILE AN INVESTIGATION. OUR POI FULLY SUPPORTS MY ACTIONS. AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, OUR COMPANY HAS FULLY INFORMED US ALL ABOUT PROBS WHICH CAN DEVELOP WITH FROZEN BLUE WATER, SO THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION ABOUT CONTINUING IN THE FACE OF A LEAK. I'M SURPRISED THE STL FAA MAINT INSPECTOR WOULD LEAVE THE SCENE BEFORE THE PROB WAS RESOLVED IF HE REALLY THOUGHT SAFETY WAS INVOLVED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.