Narrative:

Maintenance in ZZZ contacted me concerning a loose passenger door lower hinge cover, position 1L. The mechanic had indicated to me that he had accepted an interim repair on the hinge cover. As the mechanic stated to me, the cover assembly was loose due to the hinge pin migrating. As an interim repair, the mechanic staked the pin and sealed to prevent the pin from migrating on an interim basis. I questioned the mechanic if this interim repair would be secure and the lower hinge cover would still hinge around, as the door opens and closes. The mechanic indicated that there was not a problem with this. I felt from past experience that this hinge cover was an interior cosmetic item. I authority/authorized the deferral. After the aircraft departed, received a commercial radio call from flight crew. The aircraft at door 1L was extremely noisy. Aircraft returned to field. Aircraft laid over in ZZZ and maintenance replaced the lower hinge assembly twice. The first time after pressurizing aircraft, leak was still noted. Suspected bad part out of stock. Replaced flap assembly again and pressurized aircraft, and no further noise noted. Though, maintenance in ZZZ worked on repairing the noise, they never addressed the flap cover hinge assembly, which was still deferred and aircraft departed with no further discrepancies. I had the aircraft stopped at xyz to address the open deferred item on the hinge.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 RETURNED TO THE FIELD WITH AN EXTREMELY NOISY FORWARD ENTRANCE DOOR CAUSED BY A PREVIOUSLY DEFERRED LOWER HINGE COVER INTERIM REPAIR.

Narrative: MAINT IN ZZZ CONTACTED ME CONCERNING A LOOSE PAX DOOR LOWER HINGE COVER, POS 1L. THE MECH HAD INDICATED TO ME THAT HE HAD ACCEPTED AN INTERIM REPAIR ON THE HINGE COVER. AS THE MECH STATED TO ME, THE COVER ASSEMBLY WAS LOOSE DUE TO THE HINGE PIN MIGRATING. AS AN INTERIM REPAIR, THE MECH STAKED THE PIN AND SEALED TO PREVENT THE PIN FROM MIGRATING ON AN INTERIM BASIS. I QUESTIONED THE MECH IF THIS INTERIM REPAIR WOULD BE SECURE AND THE LOWER HINGE COVER WOULD STILL HINGE AROUND, AS THE DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES. THE MECH INDICATED THAT THERE WAS NOT A PROB WITH THIS. I FELT FROM PAST EXPERIENCE THAT THIS HINGE COVER WAS AN INTERIOR COSMETIC ITEM. I AUTH THE DEFERRAL. AFTER THE ACFT DEPARTED, RECEIVED A COMMERCIAL RADIO CALL FROM FLC. THE ACFT AT DOOR 1L WAS EXTREMELY NOISY. ACFT RETURNED TO FIELD. ACFT LAID OVER IN ZZZ AND MAINT REPLACED THE LOWER HINGE ASSEMBLY TWICE. THE FIRST TIME AFTER PRESSURIZING ACFT, LEAK WAS STILL NOTED. SUSPECTED BAD PART OUT OF STOCK. REPLACED FLAP ASSEMBLY AGAIN AND PRESSURIZED ACFT, AND NO FURTHER NOISE NOTED. THOUGH, MAINT IN ZZZ WORKED ON REPAIRING THE NOISE, THEY NEVER ADDRESSED THE FLAP COVER HINGE ASSEMBLY, WHICH WAS STILL DEFERRED AND ACFT DEPARTED WITH NO FURTHER DISCREPANCIES. I HAD THE ACFT STOPPED AT XYZ TO ADDRESS THE OPEN DEFERRED ITEM ON THE 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.