A B737 flight crew noticed abnormally low airflow from the lavatory vent. They wrote up the discrepa...

Narrative:

Please refer to page XXX in the log; for aircraft X. Both myself and first officer felt the airflow (in the air as well as on the ground) from the overhead vent in the forward toilet was very low. The a and C flight attendants concurred with our assessment and a log entry to that effect was made. The write off was 'airflow checks ok.' as the mechanic was no longer available I telephoned maintenance for the B737 at approximately XA30Z. The person I spoke to informed me that he spoke at length with the mechanic involved and that they felt the airflow was acceptable as there is no real standard for 'airflow.' he further informed me that the only way that this could be investigated is to take it to the hangar for inspection and he was not going to do that. 5 different people feel that there is something wrong with the airflow in the toilet of aircraft X. Why put something in the log if maintenance is not going to investigate it. This item should have been programmed for further inspection and correction and the next maintenance overnight. This is systemic (not fixing log items) at air carrier. In this case the maintenance department endangered the crew's (as well as all the passenger) health since there were fine fiberglass particles coming out of the overhead. This is a known health hazard.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737 FLIGHT CREW NOTICED ABNORMALLY LOW AIRFLOW FROM THE LAVATORY VENT. THEY WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY AND WERE DISAPPOINTED WHEN THE MAINTENANCE RESOLUTION WAS TO ACCEPT THE LOW FLOW AS NORMAL.

Narrative: PLEASE REFER TO PAGE XXX IN THE LOG; FOR ACFT X. BOTH MYSELF AND FO FELT THE AIRFLOW (IN THE AIR AS WELL AS ON THE GND) FROM THE OVERHEAD VENT IN THE FORWARD TOILET WAS VERY LOW. THE A AND C FLT ATTENDANTS CONCURRED WITH OUR ASSESSMENT AND A LOG ENTRY TO THAT EFFECT WAS MADE. THE WRITE OFF WAS 'AIRFLOW CHKS OK.' AS THE MECH WAS NO LONGER AVAILABLE I TELEPHONED MAINT FOR THE B737 AT APPROX XA30Z. THE PERSON I SPOKE TO INFORMED ME THAT HE SPOKE AT LENGTH WITH THE MECH INVOLVED AND THAT THEY FELT THE AIRFLOW WAS ACCEPTABLE AS THERE IS NO REAL STANDARD FOR 'AIRFLOW.' HE FURTHER INFORMED ME THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT THIS COULD BE INVESTIGATED IS TO TAKE IT TO THE HANGAR FOR INSPECTION AND HE WAS NOT GOING TO DO THAT. 5 DIFFERENT PEOPLE FEEL THAT THERE IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE AIRFLOW IN THE TOILET OF ACFT X. WHY PUT SOMETHING IN THE LOG IF MAINT IS NOT GOING TO INVESTIGATE IT. THIS ITEM SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROGRAMMED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION AND CORRECTION AND THE NEXT MAINT OVERNIGHT. THIS IS SYSTEMIC (NOT FIXING LOG ITEMS) AT ACR. IN THIS CASE THE MAINT DEPT ENDANGERED THE CREW'S (AS WELL AS ALL THE PAX) HEALTH SINCE THERE WERE FINE FIBERGLASS PARTICLES COMING OUT OF THE OVERHEAD. THIS IS A KNOWN HEALTH HAZARD.

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.

Attributes
ACN	815155
Time
Date	200811
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	815155
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : unable
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

A B737 flight crew noticed abnormally low airflow from the lavatory vent. They wrote up the discrepancy and were disappointed when the maintenance resolution was to accept the low flow as normal.