A B737-300 was dispatched with potable water fill cap missing the retaining chain.

Attributes
ACN	351101
Time
Date	199610
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : pit
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	351101
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : insufficient time
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In sum: aircraft arrived at the gate and a cleaner advised me the potable water service cap was missing and the safety chain was of the wrong type. I was unable to locate any reference to the chain in the parts manual or by contacting maintenance control. I replaced the cap and programmed for the chain replacement since the aircraft was ready to depart. However I should have programmed for engineering to locate the correct part number for the chain. The logbook procedures are constantly changing and this is a common problem. Communicating all the changes with everyone concerned.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED WITH POTABLE WATER FILL CAP MISSING THE RETAINING CHAIN.

Narrative: IN SUM: ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE AND A CLEANER ADVISED ME THE POTABLE WATER SVC CAP WAS MISSING AND THE SAFETY CHAIN WAS OF THE WRONG TYPE. I WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY REF TO THE CHAIN IN THE PARTS MANUAL OR BY CONTACTING MAINT CTL. I REPLACED THE CAP AND PROGRAMMED FOR THE CHAIN REPLACEMENT SINCE THE ACFT WAS READY TO DEPART. HOWEVER I SHOULD HAVE PROGRAMMED FOR ENGINEERING TO LOCATE THE CORRECT PART NUMBER FOR THE CHAIN. THE LOGBOOK PROCS ARE CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND THIS IS A COMMON PROB. COMMUNICATING ALL THE CHANGES WITH EVERYONE CONCERNED.

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.