Narrative:

There was a previous flight write-up that the exterior power door had been left open and the signoff stated that the top and bottom hinge were replaced but the middle hinge had a broken spring and they would repair later. It was stated that the door would be taped and that the tape had to be checked every 50 hours. This did not/does not show on the crew's deferral list. Maintenance control told me over the phone that the way it was deferred it will not show on our list. My concern is that as time goes on and service checks are done; that subsequent crews will not even know about the issue if they don't dig very deep into old logbook pages. Every time we pull in to the gate and plug in external power; or use the head sets to communication with the ground crew; they have to remove tape and then re-tape the door when they are done. I am not comfortable with the ramp crew (same guys that left the door open in the first place and broke it) checking the security of the tape that is holding the door shut. Do they use the correct tape? Is it secure? Will it come off and go into the engine? I had our maintenance guys check our door after push and before taxi; but going back to my first concern; next crews may not even know there is an issue.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-400 HAS A GND PWR DOOR DEFERRED AS DAMAGED. DOOR TO BE TAPED AND RECHKED EVERY 50 HRS. ITEM DOES NOT APPEAR ON FLT CREW DEFERRAL LIST.

Narrative: THERE WAS A PREVIOUS FLT WRITE-UP THAT THE EXTERIOR PWR DOOR HAD BEEN LEFT OPEN AND THE SIGNOFF STATED THAT THE TOP AND BOTTOM HINGE WERE REPLACED BUT THE MIDDLE HINGE HAD A BROKEN SPRING AND THEY WOULD REPAIR LATER. IT WAS STATED THAT THE DOOR WOULD BE TAPED AND THAT THE TAPE HAD TO BE CHKED EVERY 50 HRS. THIS DID NOT/DOES NOT SHOW ON THE CREW'S DEFERRAL LIST. MAINT CTL TOLD ME OVER THE PHONE THAT THE WAY IT WAS DEFERRED IT WILL NOT SHOW ON OUR LIST. MY CONCERN IS THAT AS TIME GOES ON AND SVC CHKS ARE DONE; THAT SUBSEQUENT CREWS WILL NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT THE ISSUE IF THEY DON'T DIG VERY DEEP INTO OLD LOGBOOK PAGES. EVERY TIME WE PULL IN TO THE GATE AND PLUG IN EXTERNAL PWR; OR USE THE HEAD SETS TO COM WITH THE GND CREW; THEY HAVE TO REMOVE TAPE AND THEN RE-TAPE THE DOOR WHEN THEY ARE DONE. I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE RAMP CREW (SAME GUYS THAT LEFT THE DOOR OPEN IN THE FIRST PLACE AND BROKE IT) CHKING THE SECURITY OF THE TAPE THAT IS HOLDING THE DOOR SHUT. DO THEY USE THE CORRECT TAPE? IS IT SECURE? WILL IT COME OFF AND GO INTO THE ENG? I HAD OUR MAINT GUYS CHK OUR DOOR AFTER PUSH AND BEFORE TAXI; BUT GOING BACK TO MY FIRST CONCERN; NEXT CREWS MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THERE IS AN ISSUE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.