A B767-200 was dispatched with a second report of a squealing captain's sliding window and a second ...

Narrative:

On jun/xa/98, at around XA30, I was contacted by maintenance at ZZZ, in regards to the sliding window on aircraft YYY. There was an inbound log write-up indicating the captain's sliding window with an excessive air leak. As noted, the noise was heard by ATC xmissions as a squeal. The flight crew did contact maintenance in abc. ZZZ maintenance indicated that they have accomplished an interim repair as specified in maintenance manual, and were requesting a deferral for continued flight. ZZZ maintenance did convey the situation with the outbound crew and indicated to me that the crew was agreeable to accept this aircraft with the interim repair. Upon initial conversation, I was reluctant to defer this discrepancy, just based on the write-up alone. I am familiar with the interim repair, and recognized and felt that this interim repair was suitable for this discrepancy. I allowed for the deferral and indicated a permanent fix at trip termination in xyz. There was an open deferral item on this exact problem. Maintenance in zyx worked on this window and requested an outbound crew comment. Hence the flight crew into ZZZ initiated the write-up. Prior to this, the aircraft had the window assembly replaced, several nights ago, for scratches and there were some problems with the rig. I was working as the line maintenance controller on the B737-322 desk. I answered the call from ZZZ because abc who normally handles the B767 fleet was on another call. Several factors that impacted my decision making process in authorizing the deferral, one was I felt the urgency over the phone and felt a need to come to a quick decision. Secondly, since this discrepancy being a crew sensitive issue, having concurrence from the outbound crew in accepting the aircraft with the interim repair, was a major factor. This was my 5TH day at work, having spent the first 3 on one shift, the 4TH on the next shift, and this 5TH day on another shift. The aircraft departed from ZZZ and arrived at xyz with no reports of excessive air leak noise from the sliding window. The deferred item was repaired by xyz. The window seal was replaced, and no further gripes have been reported.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A SECOND RPT OF A SQUEALING CAPT'S SLIDING WINDOW AND A SECOND INTERIM REPAIR ACCOMPLISHED WITH NO GND TEST TO VERIFY THE FIX.

Narrative: ON JUN/XA/98, AT AROUND XA30, I WAS CONTACTED BY MAINT AT ZZZ, IN REGARDS TO THE SLIDING WINDOW ON ACFT YYY. THERE WAS AN INBOUND LOG WRITE-UP INDICATING THE CAPT'S SLIDING WINDOW WITH AN EXCESSIVE AIR LEAK. AS NOTED, THE NOISE WAS HEARD BY ATC XMISSIONS AS A SQUEAL. THE FLC DID CONTACT MAINT IN ABC. ZZZ MAINT INDICATED THAT THEY HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AN INTERIM REPAIR AS SPECIFIED IN MAINT MANUAL, AND WERE REQUESTING A DEFERRAL FOR CONTINUED FLT. ZZZ MAINT DID CONVEY THE SIT WITH THE OUTBOUND CREW AND INDICATED TO ME THAT THE CREW WAS AGREEABLE TO ACCEPT THIS ACFT WITH THE INTERIM REPAIR. UPON INITIAL CONVERSATION, I WAS RELUCTANT TO DEFER THIS DISCREPANCY, JUST BASED ON THE WRITE-UP ALONE. I AM FAMILIAR WITH THE INTERIM REPAIR, AND RECOGNIZED AND FELT THAT THIS INTERIM REPAIR WAS SUITABLE FOR THIS DISCREPANCY. I ALLOWED FOR THE DEFERRAL AND INDICATED A PERMANENT FIX AT TRIP TERMINATION IN XYZ. THERE WAS AN OPEN DEFERRAL ITEM ON THIS EXACT PROB. MAINT IN ZYX WORKED ON THIS WINDOW AND REQUESTED AN OUTBOUND CREW COMMENT. HENCE THE FLC INTO ZZZ INITIATED THE WRITE-UP. PRIOR TO THIS, THE ACFT HAD THE WINDOW ASSEMBLY REPLACED, SEVERAL NIGHTS AGO, FOR SCRATCHES AND THERE WERE SOME PROBS WITH THE RIG. I WAS WORKING AS THE LINE MAINT CTLR ON THE B737-322 DESK. I ANSWERED THE CALL FROM ZZZ BECAUSE ABC WHO NORMALLY HANDLES THE B767 FLEET WAS ON ANOTHER CALL. SEVERAL FACTORS THAT IMPACTED MY DECISION MAKING PROCESS IN AUTHORIZING THE DEFERRAL, ONE WAS I FELT THE URGENCY OVER THE PHONE AND FELT A NEED TO COME TO A QUICK DECISION. SECONDLY, SINCE THIS DISCREPANCY BEING A CREW SENSITIVE ISSUE, HAVING CONCURRENCE FROM THE OUTBOUND CREW IN ACCEPTING THE ACFT WITH THE INTERIM REPAIR, WAS A MAJOR FACTOR. THIS WAS MY 5TH DAY AT WORK, HAVING SPENT THE FIRST 3 ON ONE SHIFT, THE 4TH ON THE NEXT SHIFT, AND THIS 5TH DAY ON ANOTHER SHIFT. THE ACFT DEPARTED FROM ZZZ AND ARRIVED AT XYZ WITH NO RPTS OF EXCESSIVE AIR LEAK NOISE FROM THE SLIDING WINDOW. THE DEFERRED ITEM WAS REPAIRED BY XYZ. THE WINDOW SEAL WAS REPLACED, AND NO FURTHER GRIPES HAVE BEEN RPTED.

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.

Attributes
ACN	405661
Time
Date	199806
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B767-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	405661
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

A B767-200 was dispatched with a second report of a squealing captain's sliding window and a second interim repair accomplished with no ground test to verify the fix.