Narrative:

I was called out to aircraft X for a supposed galley door issue. When I approached the aircraft I noted that the crew wasn't there. I looked for a pilot report and did not note one. I called maintenance control and they said their pass down shows a galley door issue. A crew came onboard; which I found was a swapped crew from another aircraft. I asked if they talked to the crew about issues with this aircraft; and they said they didn't tell them anything about issues. My fellow mechanic found the other flight attendants and asked the flight attendants to see what issues they had; they first said there wasn't any galley door issue but stated that the interior lavatory door seemed hard to open. Another flight attendant stated he thought the aft door didn't have a 'spring thing' when he latched or unlatched the inner handle. Mechanic related the information to me. I went to the lavatory door and with the flight attendant's help verified it operated right; then I asked the aft flight attendant to see if she had issues with her door; and she said not really. I went and checked and didn't feel anything about a 'spring thing' in the handle; I then removed the cap enclosure to the handle. At this point the aircraft was boarding. Not seeing any issue; I closed the cap back up and proceeded away from the aircraft so they can depart. I was asked if I did any adjustments to aircraft X by technical services due to the aft passenger door not fully opening; or something or other. I said I didn't; and I didn't see any issues. I did call back and told them that I did remove the cap enclosure to see; and since there wasn't any time to check anything with no issues noted; I reinstalled the cap. He then said that there wasn't any documentation for that. I then informed them there was a possibility I misaligned the cap. I then proceeded to fill out a report; so I wouldn't be misconstrued as hiding anything. The aircraft I saw through flight origination; was released to service after installing the cap correctly. I was a bit confused about if there was an issue with the aircraft or not. Since there wasn't a PIREP; I started fishing to see if there was a problem. When I found out what the problem might be; but when I wasn't seeing a problem I wanted to make sure I wasn't missing anything. When I saw the aircraft boarding; I felt since there wasn't an issue and to keep from any delays; I left the aircraft as soon as possible. After I was notified that there was an issue with the door; I disclosed that I possibly could have inadvertently misaligned the cap. I then realized I mistook removing and reinstalling the cap for no maintenance. To verify with each maintenance group that in any given scenario or size of task; the severity to make sure before any maintenance is performed; that a write-up and subsequent maintenance action is required.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A MECHANIC WORKING AN AFT CABIN DOOR ON A DHC-8-400 REMOVES THE DOOR HANDLE CAP ENCLOSURE TO CHECK CONDITION OF HANDLE OPERATION. HE MISALIGNED THE CAP UPON REINSTALLATION AND FAILED TO DOCUMENT WORK.

Narrative: I WAS CALLED OUT TO ACFT X FOR A SUPPOSED GALLEY DOOR ISSUE. WHEN I APCHED THE ACFT I NOTED THAT THE CREW WASN'T THERE. I LOOKED FOR A PLT RPT AND DID NOT NOTE ONE. I CALLED MAINT CTL AND THEY SAID THEIR PASS DOWN SHOWS A GALLEY DOOR ISSUE. A CREW CAME ONBOARD; WHICH I FOUND WAS A SWAPPED CREW FROM ANOTHER ACFT. I ASKED IF THEY TALKED TO THE CREW ABOUT ISSUES WITH THIS ACFT; AND THEY SAID THEY DIDN'T TELL THEM ANYTHING ABOUT ISSUES. MY FELLOW MECH FOUND THE OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS AND ASKED THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO SEE WHAT ISSUES THEY HAD; THEY FIRST SAID THERE WASN'T ANY GALLEY DOOR ISSUE BUT STATED THAT THE INTERIOR LAVATORY DOOR SEEMED HARD TO OPEN. ANOTHER FLT ATTENDANT STATED HE THOUGHT THE AFT DOOR DIDN'T HAVE A 'SPRING THING' WHEN HE LATCHED OR UNLATCHED THE INNER HANDLE. MECH RELATED THE INFO TO ME. I WENT TO THE LAVATORY DOOR AND WITH THE FLT ATTENDANT'S HELP VERIFIED IT OPERATED RIGHT; THEN I ASKED THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT TO SEE IF SHE HAD ISSUES WITH HER DOOR; AND SHE SAID NOT REALLY. I WENT AND CHKED AND DIDN'T FEEL ANYTHING ABOUT A 'SPRING THING' IN THE HANDLE; I THEN REMOVED THE CAP ENCLOSURE TO THE HANDLE. AT THIS POINT THE ACFT WAS BOARDING. NOT SEEING ANY ISSUE; I CLOSED THE CAP BACK UP AND PROCEEDED AWAY FROM THE ACFT SO THEY CAN DEPART. I WAS ASKED IF I DID ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO ACFT X BY TECHNICAL SVCS DUE TO THE AFT PAX DOOR NOT FULLY OPENING; OR SOMETHING OR OTHER. I SAID I DIDN'T; AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY ISSUES. I DID CALL BACK AND TOLD THEM THAT I DID REMOVE THE CAP ENCLOSURE TO SEE; AND SINCE THERE WASN'T ANY TIME TO CHK ANYTHING WITH NO ISSUES NOTED; I REINSTALLED THE CAP. HE THEN SAID THAT THERE WASN'T ANY DOCUMENTATION FOR THAT. I THEN INFORMED THEM THERE WAS A POSSIBILITY I MISALIGNED THE CAP. I THEN PROCEEDED TO FILL OUT A RPT; SO I WOULDN'T BE MISCONSTRUED AS HIDING ANYTHING. THE ACFT I SAW THROUGH FLT ORIGINATION; WAS RELEASED TO SVC AFTER INSTALLING THE CAP CORRECTLY. I WAS A BIT CONFUSED ABOUT IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE ACFT OR NOT. SINCE THERE WASN'T A PIREP; I STARTED FISHING TO SEE IF THERE WAS A PROB. WHEN I FOUND OUT WHAT THE PROB MIGHT BE; BUT WHEN I WASN'T SEEING A PROB I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I WASN'T MISSING ANYTHING. WHEN I SAW THE ACFT BOARDING; I FELT SINCE THERE WASN'T AN ISSUE AND TO KEEP FROM ANY DELAYS; I LEFT THE ACFT ASAP. AFTER I WAS NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH THE DOOR; I DISCLOSED THAT I POSSIBLY COULD HAVE INADVERTENTLY MISALIGNED THE CAP. I THEN REALIZED I MISTOOK REMOVING AND REINSTALLING THE CAP FOR NO MAINT. TO VERIFY WITH EACH MAINT GROUP THAT IN ANY GIVEN SCENARIO OR SIZE OF TASK; THE SEVERITY TO MAKE SURE BEFORE ANY MAINT IS PERFORMED; THAT A WRITE-UP AND SUBSEQUENT MAINT ACTION IS REQUIRED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.