Narrative:

Aircraft came in with no gripes and no history of flight problems. At approximately XA40 am on nov/xx/94, I was called out at ohare terminal by the zone lead mechanic. He told me the aircraft had a passenger on board on the inbound flight who reported a bubble in the outboard spoiler on the right wing. 2 mechanics and the lead inspected the flaps, spoilers, ailerons, and wing and could find no discrepancies. All 3 men were on top of the wing at 1 time or another, I was told. I went up on top of the wing and inspected it. I looked at the bottom of #8 spoiler with flaps down too. I rapped on top of #8 spoiler with a coin, could hear no (all over the top) delamination. I also pulled and pushed on it and it appeared normal. 1 of the mechanics told me he rapped on it with his flashlight and could not hear any delamination. There were no history or inboard gripes and after an extensive inspection with the flaps, spoilers and ailerons being operated in every mode, all 4 of us discussed the problem and came to a mutual decision to dispatch the aircraft. Later on in the day, we received a call from sfolm that #8 spoiler was found to be delaminated at providence, ri, if this delamination is trend. Maybe this should be set up as a regular inspection item on routine inspections (service checks). Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: callback to reporter revealed that this was a B-737- 500. The passenger that had observed the 'bubble' on the #8 spoiler was a pilot. Reporter stated that he had talked with the lead mechanic. The flight crew had observed the spoiler while in flight, being able to see the delaminated area while the wing was under it's normal in-flight wing loading, thereby exposing the faulty area. That is how pvd maintenance knew the location. The delaminated area was on the forward outboard leading edge of the spoiler, by the hinge area. Reporter did not know if this is a trend on the aircraft or a 1 time event. He stated that he had never seen it delaminate in this portion of the spoiler before. He said that the airline is aware of the situation and the quality assurance division had sent him a letter on the incident. So they are 'on top' of the event. Second callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: this aircraft was a 737-200 and a unique air carrier version with special confign for high altitude with for example jt 8D-17 engines rather than -15. Fuel tanks and maybe even the spoiler design was a little different - he wasn't sure. He didn't think the #8 spoiler problem on this aircraft was a problem but would advise a computer tracking of the composite material if that were possible. Usually the delamination is benign and in the aft portion of the spoiler where in wind forces cause a split and water gets in and freezes and eventually aggravates the delamination to a point where a repair is made. In this case the delamination was at the forward part of the spoiler near the outboard hinge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SPOILER DELAMINATION NOTED ON #8 SPOILER ON B-737-500 BY PAX INTO ORD. ACFT INSPECTED.

Narrative: ACFT CAME IN WITH NO GRIPES AND NO HISTORY OF FLT PROBS. AT APPROX XA40 AM ON NOV/XX/94, I WAS CALLED OUT AT OHARE TERMINAL BY THE ZONE LEAD MECH. HE TOLD ME THE ACFT HAD A PAX ON BOARD ON THE INBOUND FLT WHO RPTED A BUBBLE IN THE OUTBOARD SPOILER ON THE R WING. 2 MECHS AND THE LEAD INSPECTED THE FLAPS, SPOILERS, AILERONS, AND WING AND COULD FIND NO DISCREPANCIES. ALL 3 MEN WERE ON TOP OF THE WING AT 1 TIME OR ANOTHER, I WAS TOLD. I WENT UP ON TOP OF THE WING AND INSPECTED IT. I LOOKED AT THE BOTTOM OF #8 SPOILER WITH FLAPS DOWN TOO. I RAPPED ON TOP OF #8 SPOILER WITH A COIN, COULD HEAR NO (ALL OVER THE TOP) DELAMINATION. I ALSO PULLED AND PUSHED ON IT AND IT APPEARED NORMAL. 1 OF THE MECHS TOLD ME HE RAPPED ON IT WITH HIS FLASHLIGHT AND COULD NOT HEAR ANY DELAMINATION. THERE WERE NO HISTORY OR INBOARD GRIPES AND AFTER AN EXTENSIVE INSPECTION WITH THE FLAPS, SPOILERS AND AILERONS BEING OPERATED IN EVERY MODE, ALL 4 OF US DISCUSSED THE PROB AND CAME TO A MUTUAL DECISION TO DISPATCH THE ACFT. LATER ON IN THE DAY, WE RECEIVED A CALL FROM SFOLM THAT #8 SPOILER WAS FOUND TO BE DELAMINATED AT PROVIDENCE, RI, IF THIS DELAMINATION IS TREND. MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE SET UP AS A REGULAR INSPECTION ITEM ON ROUTINE INSPECTIONS (SVC CHKS). CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: CALLBACK TO RPTR REVEALED THAT THIS WAS A B-737- 500. THE PAX THAT HAD OBSERVED THE 'BUBBLE' ON THE #8 SPOILER WAS A PLT. RPTR STATED THAT HE HAD TALKED WITH THE LEAD MECH. THE FLC HAD OBSERVED THE SPOILER WHILE IN FLT, BEING ABLE TO SEE THE DELAMINATED AREA WHILE THE WING WAS UNDER IT'S NORMAL INFLT WING LOADING, THEREBY EXPOSING THE FAULTY AREA. THAT IS HOW PVD MAINT KNEW THE LOCATION. THE DELAMINATED AREA WAS ON THE FORWARD OUTBOARD LEADING EDGE OF THE SPOILER, BY THE HINGE AREA. RPTR DID NOT KNOW IF THIS IS A TREND ON THE ACFT OR A 1 TIME EVENT. HE STATED THAT HE HAD NEVER SEEN IT DELAMINATE IN THIS PORTION OF THE SPOILER BEFORE. HE SAID THAT THE AIRLINE IS AWARE OF THE SIT AND THE QUALITY ASSURANCE DIVISION HAD SENT HIM A LETTER ON THE INCIDENT. SO THEY ARE 'ON TOP' OF THE EVENT. SECOND CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS ACFT WAS A 737-200 AND A UNIQUE ACR VERSION WITH SPECIAL CONFIGN FOR HIGH ALT WITH FOR EXAMPLE JT 8D-17 ENGS RATHER THAN -15. FUEL TANKS AND MAYBE EVEN THE SPOILER DESIGN WAS A LITTLE DIFFERENT - HE WASN'T SURE. HE DIDN'T THINK THE #8 SPOILER PROB ON THIS ACFT WAS A PROB BUT WOULD ADVISE A COMPUTER TRACKING OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL IF THAT WERE POSSIBLE. USUALLY THE DELAMINATION IS BENIGN AND IN THE AFT PORTION OF THE SPOILER WHERE IN WIND FORCES CAUSE A SPLIT AND WATER GETS IN AND FREEZES AND EVENTUALLY AGGRAVATES THE DELAMINATION TO A POINT WHERE A REPAIR IS MADE. IN THIS CASE THE DELAMINATION WAS AT THE FORWARD PART OF THE SPOILER NEAR THE OUTBOARD HINGE.

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.