Narrative:

Prior to my arrival at the plane; at the request of one of the flight attendants; the first officer called contract maintenance to look at a rough piece of metal that was in the area of the aft galley jump seat. During boarding the mechanic came up and said he covered the piece of metal with a piece of tape and that it really wasn't a problem. As I didn't even know he was on the plane; I inquired further and was satisfied that it wasn't an airworthy item; more due to normal wear and tear. I asked if he needed it in the maintenance log and he replied no. An hour into the flight the #2 flight attendant called the cockpit and said that the door to the galley jump seat oxygen container; that the mechanic had taped; had popped open. Once again I was totally surprised that the door to her oxygen mask had been taped shut. This door is spring loaded; actuated with the passenger oxygen system and has a latch similar to the ones in the psu's. I found out that while the mechanic was putting tape over the piece of metal he also decided to tape the oxygen door closed. Additionally; despite the note in the flight attendant manual requiring captain notification; the flight attendant elected not to. Neither did the mechanic mention that he did anything in the plane other than cover a piece of metal nor did he call maintenance control to find the proper way of resetting the latch. Had he told me I could have showed him. Lastly; the first officer had minimal knowledge; yet also elected not to adequately brief me. Bottom line; the aft galley flight attendant jump seat was in an unairworthy condition thanks to an unapproved/unauthorized repair performed by contract maintenance. Although the first officer has over 11000 hours in the MD80 and is senior to me; I briefed him that he was not the captain and should have adequately briefed me. Lastly I reminded the flight attendants that there is a reason why there are items that require the captain's notification.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 CAPT REPORTS CONTRACT MAINTENANCE ACTION ON HIS ACFT THAT TAPED AN OXYGEN DOOR CLOSED. FLT ATTENDANT AND FO DID NOT BRIEF CAPT ON MAINT ACTIONS.

Narrative: PRIOR TO MY ARR AT THE PLANE; AT THE REQUEST OF ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS; THE FO CALLED CONTRACT MAINT TO LOOK AT A ROUGH PIECE OF METAL THAT WAS IN THE AREA OF THE AFT GALLEY JUMP SEAT. DURING BOARDING THE MECH CAME UP AND SAID HE COVERED THE PIECE OF METAL WITH A PIECE OF TAPE AND THAT IT REALLY WASN'T A PROB. AS I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HE WAS ON THE PLANE; I INQUIRED FURTHER AND WAS SATISFIED THAT IT WASN'T AN AIRWORTHY ITEM; MORE DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR. I ASKED IF HE NEEDED IT IN THE MAINT LOG AND HE REPLIED NO. AN HR INTO THE FLT THE #2 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED THE COCKPIT AND SAID THAT THE DOOR TO THE GALLEY JUMP SEAT OXYGEN CONTAINER; THAT THE MECH HAD TAPED; HAD POPPED OPEN. ONCE AGAIN I WAS TOTALLY SURPRISED THAT THE DOOR TO HER OXYGEN MASK HAD BEEN TAPED SHUT. THIS DOOR IS SPRING LOADED; ACTUATED WITH THE PAX OXYGEN SYS AND HAS A LATCH SIMILAR TO THE ONES IN THE PSU'S. I FOUND OUT THAT WHILE THE MECH WAS PUTTING TAPE OVER THE PIECE OF METAL HE ALSO DECIDED TO TAPE THE OXYGEN DOOR CLOSED. ADDITIONALLY; DESPITE THE NOTE IN THE FLT ATTENDANT MANUAL REQUIRING CAPT NOTIFICATION; THE FLT ATTENDANT ELECTED NOT TO. NEITHER DID THE MECH MENTION THAT HE DID ANYTHING IN THE PLANE OTHER THAN COVER A PIECE OF METAL NOR DID HE CALL MAINT CTL TO FIND THE PROPER WAY OF RESETTING THE LATCH. HAD HE TOLD ME I COULD HAVE SHOWED HIM. LASTLY; THE FO HAD MINIMAL KNOWLEDGE; YET ALSO ELECTED NOT TO ADEQUATELY BRIEF ME. BOTTOM LINE; THE AFT GALLEY FLT ATTENDANT JUMP SEAT WAS IN AN UNAIRWORTHY CONDITION THANKS TO AN UNAPPROVED/UNAUTH REPAIR PERFORMED BY CONTRACT MAINT. ALTHOUGH THE FO HAS OVER 11000 HRS IN THE MD80 AND IS SENIOR TO ME; I BRIEFED HIM THAT HE WAS NOT THE CAPT AND SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATELY BRIEFED ME. LASTLY I REMINDED THE FLT ATTENDANTS THAT THERE IS A REASON WHY THERE ARE ITEMS THAT REQUIRE THE CAPT'S NOTIFICATION.

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.