Narrative:

On the aircraft, I performed a cabin inspection for business class check. In the process, I wrote a non routine card for the aft galley ballmat needing replacement due to tears, cuts, gouges. Maintenance informed me they were not in stock for ballmats and would carry it over for replacement. I told maintenance to make it look better by sealing it and getting an engineering authorization to do it. I was told an engineering authorization was being worked on and informed the mechanics to seal and paint it, to give it a better appearance. I found out at approximately XA00, the maintenance foreman on duty told stores personnel to put away the ballmat ordered for replacement, even though I was told we were not in stock. Eventually, maintenance could not obtain an engineering authorization for the interim repair and I passed on wrong information that was given to me. Aft ballmat was still drying at XD28 when I punched out from shift. Day shift took over. Supplemental information from acn 592356: the breakdown in communication is the result of the inspector not knowing that the engineering authorization for an interim repair on a ballmat is only for older style ballmat and not the interiors and allowing the mechanics to perform repairs on the aft galley floor. Supplemental information from acn 592358: I then went to the supervisor and the production supervisor and asked them to contact engineering to get an engineering authorization to cover sealing the ballmat and assumed an engineering authorization was being written when in fact it was not. Supplemental information from acn 592359: I was instructed to repair the ballmat. I did not feel comfortable with these instructions and sought the input of quality control. The repair I was instructed to do was not written in any maintenance manual. I refused to buy off the repair. During the repair process another lead told me 'we have a blue ballmat and we are going to replace it.' I then went to the lead desk to verify the maintenance change. The lead and supervisor said, 'we are not going to change it, but instead we will carry it over.' without further discussion, I finished painting the ballmat as instructed. I did not buy off any of the paperwork pertaining to the ballmat maintenance. No engineering authorization was issued as advised by quality control.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-700 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH INCOMPLETE AND UNDOCUMENTED REPAIRS TO THE GALLEY FLOOR BALLMATS.

Narrative: ON THE ACFT, I PERFORMED A CABIN INSPECTION FOR BUSINESS CLASS CHK. IN THE PROCESS, I WROTE A NON ROUTINE CARD FOR THE AFT GALLEY BALLMAT NEEDING REPLACEMENT DUE TO TEARS, CUTS, GOUGES. MAINT INFORMED ME THEY WERE NOT IN STOCK FOR BALLMATS AND WOULD CARRY IT OVER FOR REPLACEMENT. I TOLD MAINT TO MAKE IT LOOK BETTER BY SEALING IT AND GETTING AN ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION TO DO IT. I WAS TOLD AN ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION WAS BEING WORKED ON AND INFORMED THE MECHS TO SEAL AND PAINT IT, TO GIVE IT A BETTER APPEARANCE. I FOUND OUT AT APPROX XA00, THE MAINT FOREMAN ON DUTY TOLD STORES PERSONNEL TO PUT AWAY THE BALLMAT ORDERED FOR REPLACEMENT, EVEN THOUGH I WAS TOLD WE WERE NOT IN STOCK. EVENTUALLY, MAINT COULD NOT OBTAIN AN ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION FOR THE INTERIM REPAIR AND I PASSED ON WRONG INFO THAT WAS GIVEN TO ME. AFT BALLMAT WAS STILL DRYING AT XD28 WHEN I PUNCHED OUT FROM SHIFT. DAY SHIFT TOOK OVER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592356: THE BREAKDOWN IN COM IS THE RESULT OF THE INSPECTOR NOT KNOWING THAT THE ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION FOR AN INTERIM REPAIR ON A BALLMAT IS ONLY FOR OLDER STYLE BALLMAT AND NOT THE INTERIORS AND ALLOWING THE MECHS TO PERFORM REPAIRS ON THE AFT GALLEY FLOOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592358: I THEN WENT TO THE SUPVR AND THE PRODUCTION SUPVR AND ASKED THEM TO CONTACT ENGINEERING TO GET AN ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION TO COVER SEALING THE BALLMAT AND ASSUMED AN ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION WAS BEING WRITTEN WHEN IN FACT IT WAS NOT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 592359: I WAS INSTRUCTED TO REPAIR THE BALLMAT. I DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THESE INSTRUCTIONS AND SOUGHT THE INPUT OF QUALITY CTL. THE REPAIR I WAS INSTRUCTED TO DO WAS NOT WRITTEN IN ANY MAINT MANUAL. I REFUSED TO BUY OFF THE REPAIR. DURING THE REPAIR PROCESS ANOTHER LEAD TOLD ME 'WE HAVE A BLUE BALLMAT AND WE ARE GOING TO REPLACE IT.' I THEN WENT TO THE LEAD DESK TO VERIFY THE MAINT CHANGE. THE LEAD AND SUPVR SAID, 'WE ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE IT, BUT INSTEAD WE WILL CARRY IT OVER.' WITHOUT FURTHER DISCUSSION, I FINISHED PAINTING THE BALLMAT AS INSTRUCTED. I DID NOT BUY OFF ANY OF THE PAPERWORK PERTAINING TO THE BALLMAT MAINT. NO ENGINEERING AUTHORIZATION WAS ISSUED AS ADVISED BY QUALITY CTL.

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.