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A mechanic expressed concern about the lack of sealant and a vapor barrier applied to the center fuel tank access door 131AB for boeing's B737-700 and -800 series aircraft. The access door is directly above the left air conditioning pack and if the door develops a fuel leak over the extremely hot pneumatic ducts; a fire or explosion could occur.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 867947 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200912 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Wing Access Panel |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Technician |
| Qualification | Maintenance Airframe Maintenance Powerplant |
| Experience | Maintenance Inspector 26 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical |
Narrative:
Subject: center fuel tank access door (131AB) 1. I have a concern about the center fuel tank access door on the boeing 737-700 and 800 series aircraft. This particular access door is located above the air conditioning pack like all generation B737's. The older 737's require the center tank access door to be sealed with a fuel tank sealant in order to act as a secondary seal; however the newer -700 and -800 series do not require a secondary seal. 2. Although the access door on the -700 and -800 series has a different part number than the older B737's; the fact remains that if the door develops a leak with an extremely hot air conditioning pack located just below; there is a high probability that a fire or explosion could occur. 3. In the wake of all the new measures currently in force to make fuel tank safety a priority; the omission of a secondary seal; or mylar seal at this critical non-vented area; is in my opinion an accident waiting to happen. 4. I would appreciate your assistance in this matter in providing some form of background if this is in fact; a correct procedure; or if it has just been overlooked and the concern I have is justifiable. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A Mechanic expressed concern about the lack of sealant and a vapor barrier applied to the Center Fuel tank Access door 131AB for Boeing's B737-700 and -800 series aircraft. The access door is directly above the left Air Conditioning Pack and if the door develops a fuel leak over the extremely hot pneumatic ducts; a fire or explosion could occur.
Narrative: Subject: Center Fuel Tank Access Door (131AB) 1. I have a concern about the Center Fuel tank Access door on the Boeing 737-700 and 800 series aircraft. This particular Access Door is located above the Air Conditioning pack like all generation B737's. The older 737's require the Center Tank Access door to be sealed with a fuel tank sealant in order to act as a secondary seal; however the newer -700 and -800 series do not require a secondary seal. 2. Although the access door on the -700 and -800 series has a different Part Number than the older B737's; the fact remains that if the door develops a leak with an extremely hot Air Conditioning pack located just below; there is a high probability that a fire or explosion could occur. 3. In the wake of all the new measures currently in force to make Fuel Tank Safety a priority; the omission of a secondary seal; or Mylar seal at this critical non-vented area; is in my opinion an accident waiting to happen. 4. I would appreciate your assistance in this matter in providing some form of background if this is in fact; a correct procedure; or if it has just been overlooked and the concern I have is justifiable. Thank you for your assistance in this matter.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.