Narrative:

I performed a daily inspection on aircraft. The crew reported to me a hydraulic leak in main gear wheel well area. I inspected the main gear wheel well and found wet hydraulic in the area; and wrote a discrepancy in logbook stating hydraulic leak. My supervisor signed it off as applied hydraulic power and leak checked wheel well looking aft; no leaks noted; ok for service. I believe someone more qualified needs to take a closer look at this. Also; the supervisor signed off on 3 other items not fixed in the logbook. Those items are aft drain mast that is cracked and split that needs some attention. He signed it off as inspected drain mast; found crack to be paint over sealant; ok for continued service. It needs to be replaced; or at least speed tape placed on the leading edge. The third write-up I had was 'aft lavatory waste service panel; waste rinse fitting seal is damaged.' the supervisor signed it off as checked waste tank rinse seal and found no damage; ok for continued service. This seal needs replaced now! Before blue ice forms on outside of aircraft. Fourth write-up; crew reports curtain in aft cabin is hanging down. This is no big item unless it affects passenger and flight attendant safety; they could trip over it. The supervisor signed it off as checked curtain and found it to be secure and properly installed; ok for continued service. Only authorized a&P mechanics should perform these tasks. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the B737-800 was later grounded at a different station and the drain mast; located just aft of the left main gear wheel well; was in fact; found to be cracked and required replacement. The aft lav blue water fluid servicing seal on the closing locking type cap was deteriorated and leaking; also requiring replacement. Both of these items were previously signed off by his supervisor. Reporter stated that after these discrepancies were verified and corrected; he was reprimanded by the same supervisor. Supplemental information from acn 810772: I feel that the check was accomplished out of context with the end result of me signing some of the items off. The items in question were a hydraulic leak in the main wheel well; a crack in a crain mast; and a seal in the lavatory service area of the aft fuselage; and a curtain in the aft cabin. All in all about 10 items were written. These 4 items I looked at in great detail with a witness and found no svcable flaws. We applied hydraulic pressure and leak checked the wheel well. I inspected the drain mast and only found cracked paint over sealant at the base of the drain mast. I inspected the seal for the lavatory service port and found the seal in good condition and no leaks of blue water noticed. The curtain in the aft cabin was properly installed with all of the snaps snapped and not hanging down. About 6 items were written in the cabin and the only thing that a daily check calls out for as far as cabin goes is to check the ACARS paper. I am an a&P mechanic fully qualified on the B737 aircraft. My witness is a fully qualified a&P mechanic.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MECHANIC AND MAINTENANCE SUPERVISOR DISAGREE ABOUT SIGNOFFS THE SUPERVISOR MADE OF FLIGHT CREW LOGBOOK WRITE-UPS; ON A B737-800.

Narrative: I PERFORMED A DAILY INSPECTION ON ACFT. THE CREW RPTED TO ME A HYD LEAK IN MAIN GEAR WHEEL WELL AREA. I INSPECTED THE MAIN GEAR WHEEL WELL AND FOUND WET HYD IN THE AREA; AND WROTE A DISCREPANCY IN LOGBOOK STATING HYD LEAK. MY SUPVR SIGNED IT OFF AS APPLIED HYD PWR AND LEAK CHKED WHEEL WELL LOOKING AFT; NO LEAKS NOTED; OK FOR SVC. I BELIEVE SOMEONE MORE QUALIFIED NEEDS TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS. ALSO; THE SUPVR SIGNED OFF ON 3 OTHER ITEMS NOT FIXED IN THE LOGBOOK. THOSE ITEMS ARE AFT DRAIN MAST THAT IS CRACKED AND SPLIT THAT NEEDS SOME ATTN. HE SIGNED IT OFF AS INSPECTED DRAIN MAST; FOUND CRACK TO BE PAINT OVER SEALANT; OK FOR CONTINUED SVC. IT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED; OR AT LEAST SPD TAPE PLACED ON THE LEADING EDGE. THE THIRD WRITE-UP I HAD WAS 'AFT LAVATORY WASTE SVC PANEL; WASTE RINSE FITTING SEAL IS DAMAGED.' THE SUPVR SIGNED IT OFF AS CHKED WASTE TANK RINSE SEAL AND FOUND NO DAMAGE; OK FOR CONTINUED SVC. THIS SEAL NEEDS REPLACED NOW! BEFORE BLUE ICE FORMS ON OUTSIDE OF ACFT. FOURTH WRITE-UP; CREW RPTS CURTAIN IN AFT CABIN IS HANGING DOWN. THIS IS NO BIG ITEM UNLESS IT AFFECTS PAX AND FLT ATTENDANT SAFETY; THEY COULD TRIP OVER IT. THE SUPVR SIGNED IT OFF AS CHKED CURTAIN AND FOUND IT TO BE SECURE AND PROPERLY INSTALLED; OK FOR CONTINUED SVC. ONLY AUTHORIZED A&P MECHS SHOULD PERFORM THESE TASKS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE B737-800 WAS LATER GROUNDED AT A DIFFERENT STATION AND THE DRAIN MAST; LOCATED JUST AFT OF THE LEFT MAIN GEAR WHEEL WELL; WAS IN FACT; FOUND TO BE CRACKED AND REQUIRED REPLACEMENT. THE AFT LAV BLUE WATER FLUID SERVICING SEAL ON THE CLOSING LOCKING TYPE CAP WAS DETERIORATED AND LEAKING; ALSO REQUIRING REPLACEMENT. BOTH OF THESE ITEMS WERE PREVIOUSLY SIGNED OFF BY HIS SUPERVISOR. REPORTER STATED THAT AFTER THESE DISCREPANCIES WERE VERIFIED AND CORRECTED; HE WAS REPRIMANDED BY THE SAME SUPERVISOR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 810772: I FEEL THAT THE CHK WAS ACCOMPLISHED OUT OF CONTEXT WITH THE END RESULT OF ME SIGNING SOME OF THE ITEMS OFF. THE ITEMS IN QUESTION WERE A HYD LEAK IN THE MAIN WHEEL WELL; A CRACK IN A CRAIN MAST; AND A SEAL IN THE LAVATORY SVC AREA OF THE AFT FUSELAGE; AND A CURTAIN IN THE AFT CABIN. ALL IN ALL ABOUT 10 ITEMS WERE WRITTEN. THESE 4 ITEMS I LOOKED AT IN GREAT DETAIL WITH A WITNESS AND FOUND NO SVCABLE FLAWS. WE APPLIED HYD PRESSURE AND LEAK CHKED THE WHEEL WELL. I INSPECTED THE DRAIN MAST AND ONLY FOUND CRACKED PAINT OVER SEALANT AT THE BASE OF THE DRAIN MAST. I INSPECTED THE SEAL FOR THE LAVATORY SVC PORT AND FOUND THE SEAL IN GOOD CONDITION AND NO LEAKS OF BLUE WATER NOTICED. THE CURTAIN IN THE AFT CABIN WAS PROPERLY INSTALLED WITH ALL OF THE SNAPS SNAPPED AND NOT HANGING DOWN. ABOUT 6 ITEMS WERE WRITTEN IN THE CABIN AND THE ONLY THING THAT A DAILY CHK CALLS OUT FOR AS FAR AS CABIN GOES IS TO CHK THE ACARS PAPER. I AM AN A&P MECH FULLY QUALIFIED ON THE B737 ACFT. MY WITNESS IS A FULLY QUALIFIED A&P MECH.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.