A DC9-30 was dispatched with a cabin floor panel 'bubble in flight' deferred which the local aci que...

Attributes
ACN	417897
Time
Date	199809
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0001 To 0600
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : zzz airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : atl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	417897
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	faa : investigated Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On sep/xa/98 air carrier aircraft xyz arrived in ZZZ on flight yyz. A discrepancy in the flight attendant logbook stated a 'bubble' in the cabin floor between rows 10-13. I pulled back the carpeting and visually inspected the area. Walking on the floor panels, I did not detect a bubble. With the information I had at the time, the flooring was sound and airworthy in my judgement. On subsequent flts on sep/xb/98, sep/xc/98, sep/xd/98, and sep/xe/98, the floor was written up again. The floor was not written up prior to sep/xa/98. Due to the repeat history of the floor problem, the aircraft was grounded until a positive fix was made. The FAA is investigating whether I improperly deferred the original write-up. The air carrier manuals have no standards for floor panel allowable flex. Without any written standards, floor panel airworthiness is a highly subjective topic.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A CABIN FLOOR PANEL 'BUBBLE IN FLT' DEFERRED WHICH THE LCL ACI QUESTIONS AS HAVING NO DOCUMENTATION OR AUTH FOR DEFERRAL.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/98 ACR ACFT XYZ ARRIVED IN ZZZ ON FLT YYZ. A DISCREPANCY IN THE FLT ATTENDANT LOGBOOK STATED A 'BUBBLE' IN THE CABIN FLOOR BTWN ROWS 10-13. I PULLED BACK THE CARPETING AND VISUALLY INSPECTED THE AREA. WALKING ON THE FLOOR PANELS, I DID NOT DETECT A BUBBLE. WITH THE INFO I HAD AT THE TIME, THE FLOORING WAS SOUND AND AIRWORTHY IN MY JUDGEMENT. ON SUBSEQUENT FLTS ON SEP/XB/98, SEP/XC/98, SEP/XD/98, AND SEP/XE/98, THE FLOOR WAS WRITTEN UP AGAIN. THE FLOOR WAS NOT WRITTEN UP PRIOR TO SEP/XA/98. DUE TO THE REPEAT HISTORY OF THE FLOOR PROB, THE ACFT WAS GNDED UNTIL A POSITIVE FIX WAS MADE. THE FAA IS INVESTIGATING WHETHER I IMPROPERLY DEFERRED THE ORIGINAL WRITE-UP. THE ACR MANUALS HAVE NO STANDARDS FOR FLOOR PANEL ALLOWABLE FLEX. WITHOUT ANY WRITTEN STANDARDS, FLOOR PANEL AIRWORTHINESS IS A HIGHLY SUBJECTIVE TOPIC.

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.

A DC9-30 was dispatched with a cabin floor panel 'bubble in flight' deferred which the local aci questions as having no documentation or authority/authorized for deferral.