Narrative:

The flight crew reported a large blue fluid flow back on left fuselage (tail) on preflight. I found no evidence of any active leak on any lavatory service panel and the stain was dried on and appeared to be old. All lavatories operated normally and I cleaned the fluid stain from the tail of the aircraft. After the aircraft departed and on further review of the maintenance manual, I noted that any evidence of lavatory leakage required procedures per airworthiness directive 96-22-10 be followed which include a pressurization of the aircraft to check for fluid leakage. Although there were no further write-ups of any lavatory leakage, I feel the FAA might possibly interpretation this write-up as falling under the requirements of airworthiness directive 96-22-10. In the future I will pressurize the aircraft to look for any possible leak to assure compliance of airworthiness directive 96-22-10.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD88 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE PERTAINING TO LAVATORY LEAK PROCS NOT ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative: THE FLC RPTED A LARGE BLUE FLUID FLOW BACK ON L FUSELAGE (TAIL) ON PREFLT. I FOUND NO EVIDENCE OF ANY ACTIVE LEAK ON ANY LAVATORY SVC PANEL AND THE STAIN WAS DRIED ON AND APPEARED TO BE OLD. ALL LAVATORIES OPERATED NORMALLY AND I CLEANED THE FLUID STAIN FROM THE TAIL OF THE ACFT. AFTER THE ACFT DEPARTED AND ON FURTHER REVIEW OF THE MAINT MANUAL, I NOTED THAT ANY EVIDENCE OF LAVATORY LEAKAGE REQUIRED PROCS PER AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 96-22-10 BE FOLLOWED WHICH INCLUDE A PRESSURIZATION OF THE ACFT TO CHK FOR FLUID LEAKAGE. ALTHOUGH THERE WERE NO FURTHER WRITE-UPS OF ANY LAVATORY LEAKAGE, I FEEL THE FAA MIGHT POSSIBLY INTERP THIS WRITE-UP AS FALLING UNDER THE REQUIREMENTS OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 96-22-10. IN THE FUTURE I WILL PRESSURIZE THE ACFT TO LOOK FOR ANY POSSIBLE LEAK TO ASSURE COMPLIANCE OF AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE 96-22-10.

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.