Narrative:

Air carrier X in ZZZZ scheduled flight number XXX nov/thu/06. I received a call from a fellow controller in the maintenance office stating that ZZZZ maintenance had called and advised him that a ceiling panel in the aft cargo pit had been damaged during loading/unloading of the pit. He told me that he had advised ZZZZ maintenance to place a metal plate over the area after removing the damaged panel and tape it in place. I advised him that we must comply with the gnmm (general procedures maintenance manual) regarding repairs to the pit in order to retain the fire barrier integrity of the pit. I called ZZZZ maintenance and discussed this with the responsible parties working the aircraft. I advised ZZZZ that we must comply with gnmm for repairs to the pit as this requires the use of conopatch-kit and allows for any size and shape damage provided section C limitations are met. ZZZZ took pictures of the damaged panel before and after the repair and placed them on the maintenance control website. The aircraft was dispatched with the aft pit operational as an approved repair per the gn had been accomplished. Although ZZZZ did not advise me at the time (during phone conversations) there was a smoke detector behind the damaged panel and subsequent repair. This panel also houses a lamp assembly which had also been damaged. This lamp assembly had been removed; wires tied back and deferred per MEL. Limitations state...the repair must not cover any vents; lamp assemblies; smoke or fire extinguishing equipment; smoke or fire detectors. The lamp assembly was not covered as it was removed and deferred per MEL. The smoke detector was covered by the repair patch and metal sheet; however its operation was not affected in any way as the 8 sampling points for the aft cargo compartment are at other locations within the pit on ceiling panels. The difference here being that with the original panel in place the smoke detector is readily accessible via the quick release latches. Accessing the smoke detector for maintenance purposes will be more time consuming with this repair patch in place as the repair is screwed and taped into position. The repair procedure used is for cargo pit flat panel surface fiberglas lining repairs; while this wasn't a fiberglas panel it was a flat (aluminum) panel which could be considered part of the fire barrier for the aft pit. The gn states not to cover smoke detectors; however I believe the intention of the gn statement is to ensure that any air sampling to the smoke detectors is unaffected by this repair. The repair carried out in this instance did not affect the operation of the smoke detection in any way.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 HAD A CEILING PANEL IN THE ACFT CARGO COMPARTMENT REPAIRED PER THE GENERAL PROCS MANUAL. THE REPAIR COVERED A SMOKE DETECTOR UNIT BUT NOT THE 8 SMOKE DETECTOR SENSORS. SYS OP NORMAL.

Narrative: ACR X IN ZZZZ SCHEDULED FLT NUMBER XXX NOV/THU/06. I RECEIVED A CALL FROM A FELLOW CTLR IN THE MAINT OFFICE STATING THAT ZZZZ MAINT HAD CALLED AND ADVISED HIM THAT A CEILING PANEL IN THE AFT CARGO PIT HAD BEEN DAMAGED DURING LOADING/UNLOADING OF THE PIT. HE TOLD ME THAT HE HAD ADVISED ZZZZ MAINT TO PLACE A METAL PLATE OVER THE AREA AFTER REMOVING THE DAMAGED PANEL AND TAPE IT IN PLACE. I ADVISED HIM THAT WE MUST COMPLY WITH THE GNMM (GENERAL PROCS MAINT MANUAL) REGARDING REPAIRS TO THE PIT IN ORDER TO RETAIN THE FIRE BARRIER INTEGRITY OF THE PIT. I CALLED ZZZZ MAINT AND DISCUSSED THIS WITH THE RESPONSIBLE PARTIES WORKING THE ACFT. I ADVISED ZZZZ THAT WE MUST COMPLY WITH GNMM FOR REPAIRS TO THE PIT AS THIS REQUIRES THE USE OF CONOPATCH-KIT AND ALLOWS FOR ANY SIZE AND SHAPE DAMAGE PROVIDED SECTION C LIMITATIONS ARE MET. ZZZZ TOOK PICTURES OF THE DAMAGED PANEL BEFORE AND AFTER THE REPAIR AND PLACED THEM ON THE MAINT CTL WEBSITE. THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE AFT PIT OPERATIONAL AS AN APPROVED REPAIR PER THE GN HAD BEEN ACCOMPLISHED. ALTHOUGH ZZZZ DID NOT ADVISE ME AT THE TIME (DURING PHONE CONVERSATIONS) THERE WAS A SMOKE DETECTOR BEHIND THE DAMAGED PANEL AND SUBSEQUENT REPAIR. THIS PANEL ALSO HOUSES A LAMP ASSEMBLY WHICH HAD ALSO BEEN DAMAGED. THIS LAMP ASSEMBLY HAD BEEN REMOVED; WIRES TIED BACK AND DEFERRED PER MEL. LIMITATIONS STATE...THE REPAIR MUST NOT COVER ANY VENTS; LAMP ASSEMBLIES; SMOKE OR FIRE EXTINGUISHING EQUIP; SMOKE OR FIRE DETECTORS. THE LAMP ASSEMBLY WAS NOT COVERED AS IT WAS REMOVED AND DEFERRED PER MEL. THE SMOKE DETECTOR WAS COVERED BY THE REPAIR PATCH AND METAL SHEET; HOWEVER ITS OP WAS NOT AFFECTED IN ANY WAY AS THE 8 SAMPLING POINTS FOR THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT ARE AT OTHER LOCATIONS WITHIN THE PIT ON CEILING PANELS. THE DIFFERENCE HERE BEING THAT WITH THE ORIGINAL PANEL IN PLACE THE SMOKE DETECTOR IS READILY ACCESSIBLE VIA THE QUICK RELEASE LATCHES. ACCESSING THE SMOKE DETECTOR FOR MAINT PURPOSES WILL BE MORE TIME CONSUMING WITH THIS REPAIR PATCH IN PLACE AS THE REPAIR IS SCREWED AND TAPED INTO POS. THE REPAIR PROC USED IS FOR CARGO PIT FLAT PANEL SURFACE FIBERGLAS LINING REPAIRS; WHILE THIS WASN'T A FIBERGLAS PANEL IT WAS A FLAT (ALUMINUM) PANEL WHICH COULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE FIRE BARRIER FOR THE AFT PIT. THE GN STATES NOT TO COVER SMOKE DETECTORS; HOWEVER I BELIEVE THE INTENTION OF THE GN STATEMENT IS TO ENSURE THAT ANY AIR SAMPLING TO THE SMOKE DETECTORS IS UNAFFECTED BY THIS REPAIR. THE REPAIR CARRIED OUT IN THIS INSTANCE DID NOT AFFECT THE OP OF THE SMOKE DETECTION IN ANY WAY.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.