Narrative:

I flew as first officer on a flight to ZZZ. Approaching ZZZ; the flight attendants reported a strong smell of fuel in the aft galley. We declared an emergency and landed at ZZZ. After the passenger deplaned; I proceeded to the aft galley to talk with the flight attendants. They told me that on landing the flight attendant in the starboard jump seat was sprayed with fuel. I was then shown the middle; slide out; worktable; which had liquid aviation fuel on it. At that time; about 5 mechanics arrived and were shown the fuel-covered worktable. They proceeded to take the aircraft OTS. The write-up in the book; which was completed before we went to the back of the plane was 'reported fuel smell' only and did not reference the liquid fuel discovered or the fact that a flight attendant was sprayed with fuel. We incorrectly assumed that the 5 mechanics that were shown the fuel covered table and told about the spray on the flight attendant would document it. The captain and I continued on with the sequence and went to our next destination. The next morning; we found that the smell write-up had been initially deferred and the aircraft was flying again. Concerned that the true problem (actual fuel found and flight attendant sprayed) had not been documented and the aircraft was flying in an unsafe condition; we called union safety and the duty chief pilot. After some time we were informed that the write-up was not deferred and that investigations had been conducted to discover the source of the fuel odor. Again we were concerned that the true problem (actual fuel found and flight attendant sprayed) had been overlooked; but were told that the aircraft had flown with no further problems. Today I noticed a write-up of fuel smell in the aft galley. The corrective action was to clean the wd-40 off the cabinet hinges. There is a problem here that is being overlooked. The captain and I; the 2 aft flight attendants and the 5 mechanics who took the aircraft OTS; all smelled and saw fuel on and around the worktable. One of our flight attendants was sprayed with fuel. There needs to be a more thorough investigation of how that fuel is getting into the aft galley. I believe we may be flying an unsafe aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-800 FO REPORTS INADEQUATE MAINT ATTENTION TO FUEL PRESENCE IN AFT GALLEY.

Narrative: I FLEW AS FO ON A FLT TO ZZZ. APCHING ZZZ; THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED A STRONG SMELL OF FUEL IN THE AFT GALLEY. WE DECLARED AN EMER AND LANDED AT ZZZ. AFTER THE PAX DEPLANED; I PROCEEDED TO THE AFT GALLEY TO TALK WITH THE FLT ATTENDANTS. THEY TOLD ME THAT ON LNDG THE FLT ATTENDANT IN THE STARBOARD JUMP SEAT WAS SPRAYED WITH FUEL. I WAS THEN SHOWN THE MIDDLE; SLIDE OUT; WORKTABLE; WHICH HAD LIQUID AVIATION FUEL ON IT. AT THAT TIME; ABOUT 5 MECHS ARRIVED AND WERE SHOWN THE FUEL-COVERED WORKTABLE. THEY PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE ACFT OTS. THE WRITE-UP IN THE BOOK; WHICH WAS COMPLETED BEFORE WE WENT TO THE BACK OF THE PLANE WAS 'RPTED FUEL SMELL' ONLY AND DID NOT REF THE LIQUID FUEL DISCOVERED OR THE FACT THAT A FLT ATTENDANT WAS SPRAYED WITH FUEL. WE INCORRECTLY ASSUMED THAT THE 5 MECHS THAT WERE SHOWN THE FUEL COVERED TABLE AND TOLD ABOUT THE SPRAY ON THE FLT ATTENDANT WOULD DOCUMENT IT. THE CAPT AND I CONTINUED ON WITH THE SEQUENCE AND WENT TO OUR NEXT DEST. THE NEXT MORNING; WE FOUND THAT THE SMELL WRITE-UP HAD BEEN INITIALLY DEFERRED AND THE ACFT WAS FLYING AGAIN. CONCERNED THAT THE TRUE PROB (ACTUAL FUEL FOUND AND FLT ATTENDANT SPRAYED) HAD NOT BEEN DOCUMENTED AND THE ACFT WAS FLYING IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION; WE CALLED UNION SAFETY AND THE DUTY CHIEF PLT. AFTER SOME TIME WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE WRITE-UP WAS NOT DEFERRED AND THAT INVESTIGATIONS HAD BEEN CONDUCTED TO DISCOVER THE SOURCE OF THE FUEL ODOR. AGAIN WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THE TRUE PROB (ACTUAL FUEL FOUND AND FLT ATTENDANT SPRAYED) HAD BEEN OVERLOOKED; BUT WERE TOLD THAT THE ACFT HAD FLOWN WITH NO FURTHER PROBS. TODAY I NOTICED A WRITE-UP OF FUEL SMELL IN THE AFT GALLEY. THE CORRECTIVE ACTION WAS TO CLEAN THE WD-40 OFF THE CABINET HINGES. THERE IS A PROB HERE THAT IS BEING OVERLOOKED. THE CAPT AND I; THE 2 AFT FLT ATTENDANTS AND THE 5 MECHS WHO TOOK THE ACFT OTS; ALL SMELLED AND SAW FUEL ON AND AROUND THE WORKTABLE. ONE OF OUR FLT ATTENDANTS WAS SPRAYED WITH FUEL. THERE NEEDS TO BE A MORE THOROUGH INVESTIGATION OF HOW THAT FUEL IS GETTING INTO THE AFT GALLEY. I BELIEVE WE MAY BE FLYING AN UNSAFE ACFT.

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.