Narrative:

Crew preparing for flight ZZZ - ord. Catering agent reported door crack to flight attendant #4. Flight attendant #4 reported to me as I left cockpit to start walk around. I exited aft galley door and onto catering truck and closed door to observe open jagged tear or crack approximately 5 in long. This crack is 2 in below gust lock extending 3 in above gust lock. 2 rivets forward of crack and 3 rivets after crack appear to have pulled through. Door skin shows stress for additional 5 inches from top of crack toward door window. This damage appears to be due to wear from door slamming open during catering operations. Door is open during first officer walk around and gust lock area not visible. This condition may be present on other S80 aircraft in fleet. Strongly urge exterior checks on aft galley door with door closed. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated it was obvious the design of the hold open latch is defective as when worn it causes abrasions and scratching to the outer door skin. The reporter said the station had the idea the caterer servicing the airplane damaged the door skin, but close inspection revealed the hold open device when worn over time caused the skin damage. The reporter stated the door outer skin vertical crack was five inches in length with the upper three inches migrating toward the door window with one edge of the crack protruding into the airstream and five rivets pulled. The reporter said this was reported to the maintenance controller who did not appear overly excited about this situation and offered minimal guidance. The reporter stated the captain was agreeable to fly the airplane, but it was decided by all concerned to take the airplane out of service. The reporter said a fleet wide inspection should be made immediately to determine if other md-80 aircraft galley doors have sustained damage.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 WAS FOUND TO HAVE A 5 INCH CRACK AND PULLED RIVETS IN THE AFT GALLEY SERVICE DOOR OUTER SKIN CAUSED BY THE DOOR HOLD OPEN LATCH.

Narrative: CREW PREPARING FOR FLT ZZZ - ORD. CATERING AGENT RPTED DOOR CRACK TO FLT ATTENDANT #4. FLT ATTENDANT #4 RPTED TO ME AS I LEFT COCKPIT TO START WALK AROUND. I EXITED AFT GALLEY DOOR AND ONTO CATERING TRUCK AND CLOSED DOOR TO OBSERVE OPEN JAGGED TEAR OR CRACK APPROX 5 IN LONG. THIS CRACK IS 2 IN BELOW GUST LOCK EXTENDING 3 IN ABOVE GUST LOCK. 2 RIVETS FORWARD OF CRACK AND 3 RIVETS AFTER CRACK APPEAR TO HAVE PULLED THROUGH. DOOR SKIN SHOWS STRESS FOR ADDITIONAL 5 INCHES FROM TOP OF CRACK TOWARD DOOR WINDOW. THIS DAMAGE APPEARS TO BE DUE TO WEAR FROM DOOR SLAMMING OPEN DURING CATERING OPS. DOOR IS OPEN DURING FO WALK AROUND AND GUST LOCK AREA NOT VISIBLE. THIS CONDITION MAY BE PRESENT ON OTHER S80 ACFT IN FLEET. STRONGLY URGE EXTERIOR CHECKS ON AFT GALLEY DOOR WITH DOOR CLOSED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED IT WAS OBVIOUS THE DESIGN OF THE HOLD OPEN LATCH IS DEFECTIVE AS WHEN WORN IT CAUSES ABRASIONS AND SCRATCHING TO THE OUTER DOOR SKIN. THE RPTR SAID THE STATION HAD THE IDEA THE CATERER SERVICING THE AIRPLANE DAMAGED THE DOOR SKIN, BUT CLOSE INSPECTION REVEALED THE HOLD OPEN DEVICE WHEN WORN OVER TIME CAUSED THE SKIN DAMAGE. THE RPTR STATED THE DOOR OUTER SKIN VERTICAL CRACK WAS FIVE INCHES IN LENGTH WITH THE UPPER THREE INCHES MIGRATING TOWARD THE DOOR WINDOW WITH ONE EDGE OF THE CRACK PROTRUDING INTO THE AIRSTREAM AND FIVE RIVETS PULLED. THE RPTR SAID THIS WAS RPTED TO THE MAINT CTLR WHO DID NOT APPEAR OVERLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS SIT AND OFFERED MINIMAL GUIDANCE. THE RPTR STATED THE CAPT WAS AGREEABLE TO FLY THE AIRPLANE, BUT IT WAS DECIDED BY ALL CONCERNED TO TAKE THE AIRPLANE OUT OF SERVICE. THE RPTR SAID A FLEET WIDE INSPECTION SHOULD BE MADE IMMEDIATELY TO DETERMINE IF OTHER MD-80 ACFT GALLEY DOORS HAVE SUSTAINED DAMAGE.

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.