Narrative:

During preflight duties, a ramp worker came to cockpit and advised the captain and myself of a possible problem with the aft cargo pit. The ramper said 'a small worn spot in the ceiling was noticed, but it does not look like a big deal.' we were ready to push back shortly. The captain asked me to go down and look at the spot. As I followed the ramp worker, he informed me that a mechanic would not be available for 2 hours. I stood on the ramp and could see a small worm hole in the fiberglas in the ceiling of the cargo hold. The fiberglas was frayed so the hole did not appear to go all the way through. The ramp worker demonstrated that the net could be secured. I gave my thoughts to the ramp worker that it seemed like a normal wear point, and he agreed. I returned to the cockpit to explain to the captain what the situation was. I explained in detail how the spot looked and how it might have gotten there -- that the spring loaded pole used to secure the net pops up, damaging the fiberglas. In my mind, taking into consideration the normally rough environment of the cargo pit, the hole did not seem to be a safety factor. The captain agreed and said that we would have them look at it in den and that we could write it up in the logbook later. We seemed to both be thinking that delaying a flight for what seemed like a nonconsequential item would be a poor decision. During cruise, the captain agreed that we should write up the item. I wrote up the item showing the coupon to the captain, sent a maintenance message allowing the captain to view the message before transmitting. The captain then asked me to contact maintenance via voice and explain the write-up. The maintenance representative was difficult to understand so he sent an ACARS message to contact him at destination. I made a mistake by not advocating that we contact maintenance in XXX. I also could have recommended that the captain look at the cargo pit himself. Anticipating that we would eventually have a mechanic look at the affected area, I should have insisted on that occurring before departing xxy. At the time these decisions needed to have been made, the same decisions did not seem clear cut.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR OPERATES ACFT WITH KNOWN DAMAGE TO CARGO COMPARTMENT WALL.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT DUTIES, A RAMP WORKER CAME TO COCKPIT AND ADVISED THE CAPT AND MYSELF OF A POSSIBLE PROB WITH THE AFT CARGO PIT. THE RAMPER SAID 'A SMALL WORN SPOT IN THE CEILING WAS NOTICED, BUT IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE A BIG DEAL.' WE WERE READY TO PUSH BACK SHORTLY. THE CAPT ASKED ME TO GO DOWN AND LOOK AT THE SPOT. AS I FOLLOWED THE RAMP WORKER, HE INFORMED ME THAT A MECH WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE FOR 2 HRS. I STOOD ON THE RAMP AND COULD SEE A SMALL WORM HOLE IN THE FIBERGLAS IN THE CEILING OF THE CARGO HOLD. THE FIBERGLAS WAS FRAYED SO THE HOLE DID NOT APPEAR TO GO ALL THE WAY THROUGH. THE RAMP WORKER DEMONSTRATED THAT THE NET COULD BE SECURED. I GAVE MY THOUGHTS TO THE RAMP WORKER THAT IT SEEMED LIKE A NORMAL WEAR POINT, AND HE AGREED. I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT TO EXPLAIN TO THE CAPT WHAT THE SIT WAS. I EXPLAINED IN DETAIL HOW THE SPOT LOOKED AND HOW IT MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THERE -- THAT THE SPRING LOADED POLE USED TO SECURE THE NET POPS UP, DAMAGING THE FIBERGLAS. IN MY MIND, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THE NORMALLY ROUGH ENVIRONMENT OF THE CARGO PIT, THE HOLE DID NOT SEEM TO BE A SAFETY FACTOR. THE CAPT AGREED AND SAID THAT WE WOULD HAVE THEM LOOK AT IT IN DEN AND THAT WE COULD WRITE IT UP IN THE LOGBOOK LATER. WE SEEMED TO BOTH BE THINKING THAT DELAYING A FLT FOR WHAT SEEMED LIKE A NONCONSEQUENTIAL ITEM WOULD BE A POOR DECISION. DURING CRUISE, THE CAPT AGREED THAT WE SHOULD WRITE UP THE ITEM. I WROTE UP THE ITEM SHOWING THE COUPON TO THE CAPT, SENT A MAINT MESSAGE ALLOWING THE CAPT TO VIEW THE MESSAGE BEFORE XMITTING. THE CAPT THEN ASKED ME TO CONTACT MAINT VIA VOICE AND EXPLAIN THE WRITE-UP. THE MAINT REPRESENTATIVE WAS DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND SO HE SENT AN ACARS MESSAGE TO CONTACT HIM AT DEST. I MADE A MISTAKE BY NOT ADVOCATING THAT WE CONTACT MAINT IN XXX. I ALSO COULD HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CAPT LOOK AT THE CARGO PIT HIMSELF. ANTICIPATING THAT WE WOULD EVENTUALLY HAVE A MECH LOOK AT THE AFFECTED AREA, I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON THAT OCCURRING BEFORE DEPARTING XXY. AT THE TIME THESE DECISIONS NEEDED TO HAVE BEEN MADE, THE SAME DECISIONS DID NOT SEEM CLR CUT.

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.