A pilot flying the same B747-400 on different occasions; notices the numerous times write-ups on the...

Narrative:

What I am observing in the state of air carrier X maintenance lately is of deep concern. As best as I can tell; from the maintenance history; aircraft X has been having 2 chronic problems since at least early october. That's as far back as I have access. Last month I few this aircraft out of ZZZZ. On taxi out; we had the #3 utility and galley busses trip off. These are heavy busses for this aircraft. What also happened; which we didn't think much of at the time; was that in-flight; right after takeoff; we suddenly got a fuel imbalance EICAS message. As best as I recall; the right side tanks were out of balance with the left side tanks. The first officer and I rebalanced the fuel and encountered no further problems. We didn't think anything of it at the time. This morning; I pulled up the aircraft information because this is the same aircraft I'll be flying in the morning to ZZZZ from ZZZZ. What I am seeing is disturbing. It appears that the aircraft has had consistent problems with the #3 utility/galley busses since at least early november. Numerous times; maintenance in ZZZZ1 and other places found everything ok; and commented 'this problem has already been fixed.' some areas I'd like to highlight: found wires mixed up at upper deck galley chiller circuit breaker wire; galley kill switches in first class and business class; doesn't kill the respective galley. In flight deck right; found upper deck galley emergency power off switch mis-wired. Re-wired. Now first and business class able to trip and reset. Connector D6446 disconnected above ceiling panel in first class galley. Secured connector D6446 above first class galley. Found upper deck galley emergency power switch with cross and broken wires. Possibly damaging #3 emergency lighting control unit replace with new. Operations checked all galleys while ts upper deck galley power trip problem; found circuit breaker C8837 has burn mark on wire W3839-032-02 at P180 panel for tru #3 bus tie dc#3. Found residual marking and no damage to lug. With regard to the galley tripping problem there is (or was) obviously something seriously wrong with this aircraft and it being mis-wired. Why was this not caught sooner? Was this related to outsourced maintenance? Are we simply lucky that we didn't end up with a fire on board? The fuel system problems seem to continue unabated. Based on the fact that the electrical system now has a history of being 'mis-wired;' I have to wonder whether or not the fuel indication/system has also been mis-wired. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated he flew the same B747-400 recently and the problems with the galley electrical busses appear to have been corrected. But now this same aircraft has had several incidences of overhead water leaking into the main cabin. At one point; seven of their lavs were dry flushed; due to an overhead water line that had broken; pouring water into the cabin during flight.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PILOT FLYING THE SAME B747-400 ON DIFFERENT OCCASIONS; NOTICES THE NUMEROUS TIMES WRITE-UPS ON THE #3 UTILITY/GALLEY ELECTRICAL BUSSES AND EQUIPMENT; HAVE BEEN SIGNED OFF BY MAINTENANCE AS OKAY.

Narrative: WHAT I AM OBSERVING IN THE STATE OF ACR X MAINT LATELY IS OF DEEP CONCERN. AS BEST AS I CAN TELL; FROM THE MAINT HISTORY; ACFT X HAS BEEN HAVING 2 CHRONIC PROBS SINCE AT LEAST EARLY OCTOBER. THAT'S AS FAR BACK AS I HAVE ACCESS. LAST MONTH I FEW THIS ACFT OUT OF ZZZZ. ON TAXI OUT; WE HAD THE #3 UTILITY AND GALLEY BUSSES TRIP OFF. THESE ARE HVY BUSSES FOR THIS ACFT. WHAT ALSO HAPPENED; WHICH WE DIDN'T THINK MUCH OF AT THE TIME; WAS THAT INFLT; RIGHT AFTER TKOF; WE SUDDENLY GOT A FUEL IMBALANCE EICAS MESSAGE. AS BEST AS I RECALL; THE R SIDE TANKS WERE OUT OF BALANCE WITH THE L SIDE TANKS. THE FO AND I REBALANCED THE FUEL AND ENCOUNTERED NO FURTHER PROBS. WE DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT AT THE TIME. THIS MORNING; I PULLED UP THE ACFT INFO BECAUSE THIS IS THE SAME ACFT I'LL BE FLYING IN THE MORNING TO ZZZZ FROM ZZZZ. WHAT I AM SEEING IS DISTURBING. IT APPEARS THAT THE ACFT HAS HAD CONSISTENT PROBS WITH THE #3 UTILITY/GALLEY BUSSES SINCE AT LEAST EARLY NOVEMBER. NUMEROUS TIMES; MAINT IN ZZZZ1 AND OTHER PLACES FOUND EVERYTHING OK; AND COMMENTED 'THIS PROB HAS ALREADY BEEN FIXED.' SOME AREAS I'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT: FOUND WIRES MIXED UP AT UPPER DECK GALLEY CHILLER CIRCUIT BREAKER WIRE; GALLEY KILL SWITCHES IN FIRST CLASS AND BUSINESS CLASS; DOESN'T KILL THE RESPECTIVE GALLEY. IN FLT DECK R; FOUND UPPER DECK GALLEY EMER PWR OFF SWITCH MIS-WIRED. RE-WIRED. NOW FIRST AND BUSINESS CLASS ABLE TO TRIP AND RESET. CONNECTOR D6446 DISCONNECTED ABOVE CEILING PANEL IN FIRST CLASS GALLEY. SECURED CONNECTOR D6446 ABOVE FIRST CLASS GALLEY. FOUND UPPER DECK GALLEY EMER PWR SWITCH WITH CROSS AND BROKEN WIRES. POSSIBLY DAMAGING #3 EMER LIGHTING CTL UNIT REPLACE WITH NEW. OPS CHKED ALL GALLEYS WHILE TS UPPER DECK GALLEY PWR TRIP PROB; FOUND CIRCUIT BREAKER C8837 HAS BURN MARK ON WIRE W3839-032-02 AT P180 PANEL FOR TRU #3 BUS TIE DC#3. FOUND RESIDUAL MARKING AND NO DAMAGE TO LUG. WITH REGARD TO THE GALLEY TRIPPING PROB THERE IS (OR WAS) OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH THIS ACFT AND IT BEING MIS-WIRED. WHY WAS THIS NOT CAUGHT SOONER? WAS THIS RELATED TO OUTSOURCED MAINT? ARE WE SIMPLY LUCKY THAT WE DIDN'T END UP WITH A FIRE ON BOARD? THE FUEL SYSTEM PROBS SEEM TO CONTINUE UNABATED. BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM NOW HAS A HISTORY OF BEING 'MIS-WIRED;' I HAVE TO WONDER WHETHER OR NOT THE FUEL INDICATION/SYSTEM HAS ALSO BEEN MIS-WIRED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HE FLEW THE SAME B747-400 RECENTLY AND THE PROBLEMS WITH THE GALLEY ELECTRICAL BUSSES APPEAR TO HAVE BEEN CORRECTED. BUT NOW THIS SAME AIRCRAFT HAS HAD SEVERAL INCIDENCES OF OVERHEAD WATER LEAKING INTO THE MAIN CABIN. AT ONE POINT; SEVEN OF THEIR LAVS WERE DRY FLUSHED; DUE TO AN OVERHEAD WATER LINE THAT HAD BROKEN; POURING WATER INTO THE CABIN DURING FLIGHT.

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	815623
Time
Date	200812
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzzz.airport
State Reference	FO
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 16000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	815623
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : briefing performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : fault isolation performance deficiency : testing
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Maintenance Human Performance Company
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

A pilot flying the same B747-400 on different occasions; notices the numerous times write-ups on the #3 utility/galley electrical busses and equipment; have been signed off by maintenance as okay.