B737 captain was informed by flight attendant that door 1R would not close properly. Maintenance was...

Narrative:

Prior to departure; 'a' flight attendant notified me (captain) that they were having trouble with the R1 door. Door handle could be moved to full closed position; however a substantial gap could be observed around the edge; ie; daylight. Enough for a small rodent to crawl through. I made a maintenance logbook entry to this effect. Since a maintenance technician was already out at the aircraft; he attended to the problem with the door. He quickly reported that 'we were not going anywhere with this aircraft.' I continued my preflight duties; just in case something changed. After a while; a different maintenance technician appeared in the cockpit. He asked what the problem was; and I told him. Unknown to me at the time; was the 'a' flight attendant's observance of the first and second technician working with the door; trying to get it to close properly. Allegedly; the first mechanic refused to sign off the door. Mechanic X pretended to not know anything about the problem; and that he just showed up. A lie; in my opinion. After working with the door; he signed off the logbook. I'm happy; but went back to check the operation of the door. Door did still not work properly. Flight attendants observed that it took a second hand pushing against the door; with maybe a little nhl style hip check to get the door to seat properly. Unacceptable to me. As mechanic X started to berate me in front of passenger (they intend to send a letter to company); I moved the conversation to the jetway. I was informed that he had been operating these doors for 20 yrs; and that I (and other pilots) did not know how to operate them. Strong conversation in jetway. Called fodo; entered new write-up and the jet got fixed; properly. Attitude of this mechanic is a major safety issue here. Several other supervisors agreed. So did third mechanic; who came over from hangar. Don't care if he gets fired or promoted; but I would like the obvious safety issue resolved. Inform any mechanics in need of training; that; although the captain of the aircraft is not a mechanic; he might know how doors work. Capts might indeed be interested in flying an airworthy aircraft. All the passenger insist upon it.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CAPT WAS INFORMED BY FA THAT DOOR 1R WOULD NOT CLOSE PROPERLY. MAINT WAS CALLED AND ONE OF MECHANICS 'SIGNED OFF' THE DISCREPANCY WITH THE PROBLEM NOT SOLVED.

Narrative: PRIOR TO DEP; 'A' FLT ATTENDANT NOTIFIED ME (CAPT) THAT THEY WERE HAVING TROUBLE WITH THE R1 DOOR. DOOR HANDLE COULD BE MOVED TO FULL CLOSED POS; HOWEVER A SUBSTANTIAL GAP COULD BE OBSERVED AROUND THE EDGE; IE; DAYLIGHT. ENOUGH FOR A SMALL RODENT TO CRAWL THROUGH. I MADE A MAINT LOGBOOK ENTRY TO THIS EFFECT. SINCE A MAINT TECHNICIAN WAS ALREADY OUT AT THE ACFT; HE ATTENDED TO THE PROB WITH THE DOOR. HE QUICKLY RPTED THAT 'WE WERE NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH THIS ACFT.' I CONTINUED MY PREFLT DUTIES; JUST IN CASE SOMETHING CHANGED. AFTER A WHILE; A DIFFERENT MAINT TECHNICIAN APPEARED IN THE COCKPIT. HE ASKED WHAT THE PROB WAS; AND I TOLD HIM. UNKNOWN TO ME AT THE TIME; WAS THE 'A' FLT ATTENDANT'S OBSERVANCE OF THE FIRST AND SECOND TECHNICIAN WORKING WITH THE DOOR; TRYING TO GET IT TO CLOSE PROPERLY. ALLEGEDLY; THE FIRST MECH REFUSED TO SIGN OFF THE DOOR. MECH X PRETENDED TO NOT KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE PROB; AND THAT HE JUST SHOWED UP. A LIE; IN MY OPINION. AFTER WORKING WITH THE DOOR; HE SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK. I'M HAPPY; BUT WENT BACK TO CHK THE OP OF THE DOOR. DOOR DID STILL NOT WORK PROPERLY. FLT ATTENDANTS OBSERVED THAT IT TOOK A SECOND HAND PUSHING AGAINST THE DOOR; WITH MAYBE A LITTLE NHL STYLE HIP CHK TO GET THE DOOR TO SEAT PROPERLY. UNACCEPTABLE TO ME. AS MECH X STARTED TO BERATE ME IN FRONT OF PAX (THEY INTEND TO SEND A LETTER TO COMPANY); I MOVED THE CONVERSATION TO THE JETWAY. I WAS INFORMED THAT HE HAD BEEN OPERATING THESE DOORS FOR 20 YRS; AND THAT I (AND OTHER PLTS) DID NOT KNOW HOW TO OPERATE THEM. STRONG CONVERSATION IN JETWAY. CALLED FODO; ENTERED NEW WRITE-UP AND THE JET GOT FIXED; PROPERLY. ATTITUDE OF THIS MECH IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE HERE. SEVERAL OTHER SUPVRS AGREED. SO DID THIRD MECH; WHO CAME OVER FROM HANGAR. DON'T CARE IF HE GETS FIRED OR PROMOTED; BUT I WOULD LIKE THE OBVIOUS SAFETY ISSUE RESOLVED. INFORM ANY MECHS IN NEED OF TRAINING; THAT; ALTHOUGH THE CAPT OF THE ACFT IS NOT A MECH; HE MIGHT KNOW HOW DOORS WORK. CAPTS MIGHT INDEED BE INTERESTED IN FLYING AN AIRWORTHY ACFT. ALL THE PAX INSIST UPON IT.

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.

Attributes
ACN	744456
Time
Date	200707
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	744456
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other other : 2
Resolutory Action	other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : training
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

B737 captain was informed by flight attendant that door 1R would not close properly. Maintenance was called and one of mechanics 'signed off' the discrepancy with the problem not solved.