Narrative:

Local ramp personnel advised maintenance of a problem on the said aircraft's right hand lavatory external fill port. I proceeded to inspect the said fill port and noted that the fill port nipple itself had been pulled away from the fuselage approximately 1 inch, shearing 8 rivets. No other discrepancies with the fitting or surrounding structure was noted. The fill port flange was the only thing separated from the aircraft fuselage. At the time, I did not realize that the area the lavatory fill port flange secured to was inside the pressurized section of the aircraft, so I proceeded to advise maintenance control of the problem and request the item be deferred as a passenger convenience item, perceiving it as affecting solely the lavatory itself. The lavatory was, in turn, deferred, drained and blocked off. Later, it had been brought to my attention that the said area was pressurized and that the item should not have been deferred due to the fact that a pressurization leak would exist and the integrity of the structure could have been compromised without support of the rivets securing the fitting. Supplemental information from acn 210366: being the maintenance controller on duty, proceeded to send a mechanic out to evaluate the situation. At the time, I did not realize that the area the lavatory fill port flange secured to was within the pressurized section of the aircraft, so I authorized a deferred maintenance item perceiving it as affecting solely the lavatory itself. I then instructed the said mechanic to drain the lavatory and block it off.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AIR CARRIER MECH AND MAINT CTLR BOTH UNAWARE THAT DAMAGED LAVATORY FILL NIPPLE COMPROMISED THE INTEGRITY OF THE MLG'S PRESSURE HULL, AND THEY ALLOWED ACFT TO BE RELEASED WITH LAVATORY SECURED AS A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM.

Narrative: LCL RAMP PERSONNEL ADVISED MAINT OF A PROBLEM ON THE SAID ACFT'S R HAND LAVATORY EXTERNAL FILL PORT. I PROCEEDED TO INSPECT THE SAID FILL PORT AND NOTED THAT THE FILL PORT NIPPLE ITSELF HAD BEEN PULLED AWAY FROM THE FUSELAGE APPROX 1 INCH, SHEARING 8 RIVETS. NO OTHER DISCREPANCIES WITH THE FITTING OR SURROUNDING STRUCTURE WAS NOTED. THE FILL PORT FLANGE WAS THE ONLY THING SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT FUSELAGE. AT THE TIME, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE AREA THE LAVATORY FILL PORT FLANGE SECURED TO WAS INSIDE THE PRESSURIZED SECTION OF THE ACFT, SO I PROCEEDED TO ADVISE MAINT CTL OF THE PROBLEM AND REQUEST THE ITEM BE DEFERRED AS A PAX CONVENIENCE ITEM, PERCEIVING IT AS AFFECTING SOLELY THE LAVATORY ITSELF. THE LAVATORY WAS, IN TURN, DEFERRED, DRAINED AND BLOCKED OFF. LATER, IT HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT THE SAID AREA WAS PRESSURIZED AND THAT THE ITEM SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED DUE TO THE FACT THAT A PRESSURIZATION LEAK WOULD EXIST AND THE INTEGRITY OF THE STRUCTURE COULD HAVE BEEN COMPROMISED WITHOUT SUPPORT OF THE RIVETS SECURING THE FITTING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 210366: BEING THE MAINT CTLR ON DUTY, PROCEEDED TO SEND A MECH OUT TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION. AT THE TIME, I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THE AREA THE LAVATORY FILL PORT FLANGE SECURED TO WAS WITHIN THE PRESSURIZED SECTION OF THE ACFT, SO I AUTHORIZED A DEFERRED MAINT ITEM PERCEIVING IT AS AFFECTING SOLELY THE LAVATORY ITSELF. I THEN INSTRUCTED THE SAID MECH TO DRAIN THE LAVATORY AND BLOCK IT OFF.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.