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Two pilots report finding several B737-800 nextgen aircraft with lower fuselage body and wheel well fairings cracking in the vertical web sections that support the left and right main wheel well vapor barrier blade seals. The blade seals are attached to the fiberglass fairing on the inside area of each wheel well opening.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 980911 |
| Time | |
| Date | 201111 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601-1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | ZZZ.Airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Environment | |
| Light | Dawn |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Make Model Name | B737-800 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | Parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Component | |
| Aircraft Component | Fuselage Attachment |
| Person 1 | |
| Function | Pilot Not Flying Captain |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Person 2 | |
| Function | Captain Pilot Flying |
| Qualification | Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP) |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | Aircraft Equipment Problem Critical Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy |
Narrative:
November 2011; just picked up a B737-800 aircraft in ZZZ [with a] right wheel well vapor barrier crack placarded in the logbook in august 2011. Went to inspect and found a longer crack (approximately 18 inches) speed taped. [There was] a six inch piece of speed tape coming off and crack progression beyond top of speed tape. Called ZZZ contract maintenance (took 30-minutes to get to airport) and gave heads up to maintenance control. Maintenance control noted their records only showed a 6 inch crack. Logbook only went back to november. Sometime between august and november 2011; crack grew 12 inches and was speed taped (no one informed maintenance control). ZZZ contract maintenance said he almost took plane out of service because it is very difficult to tell cracking paint from cracking fiberglass. Informed maintenance control that pearl paint needed to be removed near cracks to visually see cracks. This aircraft was stop drilled previously; but didn't prevent growth of crack. He also told maintenance control the plane needed to be inspected on arrival in ZZZ1; not quick turned to ZZZ2.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: Two pilots report finding several B737-800 NextGen aircraft with lower fuselage body and wheel well fairings cracking in the vertical web sections that support the left and right main wheel well vapor barrier blade seals. The blade seals are attached to the fiberglass fairing on the inside area of each wheel well opening.
Narrative: November 2011; just picked up a B737-800 aircraft in ZZZ [with a] right wheel well vapor barrier crack placarded in the logbook in August 2011. Went to inspect and found a longer crack (approximately 18 inches) speed taped. [There was] a six inch piece of speed tape coming off and crack progression beyond top of speed tape. Called ZZZ Contract Maintenance (took 30-minutes to get to airport) and gave heads up to Maintenance Control. Maintenance Control noted their records only showed a 6 inch crack. Logbook only went back to November. Sometime between August and November 2011; crack grew 12 inches and was speed taped (no one informed Maintenance Control). ZZZ Contract Maintenance said he almost took plane out of service because it is very difficult to tell cracking paint from cracking fiberglass. Informed Maintenance Control that pearl paint needed to be removed near cracks to visually see cracks. This aircraft was stop drilled previously; but didn't prevent growth of crack. He also told Maintenance Control the plane needed to be inspected on arrival in ZZZ1; not quick turned to ZZZ2.
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.