Narrative:

Upon boarding and walking to the back of the aircraft to perform our safety checks I found the oxygen mask over the aft flight attendant jumpseat deployed. I called the purser and he called the cockpit. Shortly afterward a mechanic arrived and began shoving the mask back into the ceiling compartment. I asked him if he could tell if the bottle had been used/discharged. He said he did not know if the bottle was indeed used. I said 'this is our lives we are talking about here and I would like to know if this bottle is no longer any good.' he said 'I am just putting it back in; what can I tell you?' so I called the cockpit and asked if they knew how to tell if the bottle had been used and he asked to speak to the mechanic. Shortly after that a second mechanic arrived and told us the bottle had not been used. He said that if it had there would be a very strong odor and the bottle would be very hot. I would like to point out that it was approximately 30 degrees outside and we did not know for how long the mask had been deployed. These mechanics proceeded to repack the mask into the ceiling compartment. After they left myself and my flying partner noticed that the panel covering the masks was not flush to the ceiling as it should be. Approximately 30 mins into flight the panel fell off and the masks deployed again. We informed the cockpit and purser. Upon landing in ZZZ2 mechanics came onboard and proceeded to repack the masks. They said they could tell that the bottle had not been discharged and that the problem was that the latch on the panel cover was bent. They said they re-bent it and it should stay in place now. Myself and the crew left the aircraft at that point for our next flight but we did notice that the panel was still not flush to the ceiling. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that other than being told the oxygen canister would be very hot if; in fact; the canister had discharged; no one has explained what else to be aware of; for a used oxygen generator canister.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FLIGHT ATTENDANT FINDS THE OXYGEN MASK OVER THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT DEPLOYED DURING SAFETY CHECKS ON A B737-500. MECHANIC REPACKS THE MASK; BUT TELLS FLT ATTENDANT HE DOESN'T KNOW IF OXYGEN CANISTER HAS BEEN DISCHARGED.

Narrative: UPON BOARDING AND WALKING TO THE BACK OF THE ACFT TO PERFORM OUR SAFETY CHKS I FOUND THE OXYGEN MASK OVER THE AFT FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT DEPLOYED. I CALLED THE PURSER AND HE CALLED THE COCKPIT. SHORTLY AFTERWARD A MECH ARRIVED AND BEGAN SHOVING THE MASK BACK INTO THE CEILING COMPARTMENT. I ASKED HIM IF HE COULD TELL IF THE BOTTLE HAD BEEN USED/DISCHARGED. HE SAID HE DID NOT KNOW IF THE BOTTLE WAS INDEED USED. I SAID 'THIS IS OUR LIVES WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THIS BOTTLE IS NO LONGER ANY GOOD.' HE SAID 'I AM JUST PUTTING IT BACK IN; WHAT CAN I TELL YOU?' SO I CALLED THE COCKPIT AND ASKED IF THEY KNEW HOW TO TELL IF THE BOTTLE HAD BEEN USED AND HE ASKED TO SPEAK TO THE MECH. SHORTLY AFTER THAT A SECOND MECH ARRIVED AND TOLD US THE BOTTLE HAD NOT BEEN USED. HE SAID THAT IF IT HAD THERE WOULD BE A VERY STRONG ODOR AND THE BOTTLE WOULD BE VERY HOT. I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IT WAS APPROX 30 DEGS OUTSIDE AND WE DID NOT KNOW FOR HOW LONG THE MASK HAD BEEN DEPLOYED. THESE MECHS PROCEEDED TO REPACK THE MASK INTO THE CEILING COMPARTMENT. AFTER THEY LEFT MYSELF AND MY FLYING PARTNER NOTICED THAT THE PANEL COVERING THE MASKS WAS NOT FLUSH TO THE CEILING AS IT SHOULD BE. APPROX 30 MINS INTO FLT THE PANEL FELL OFF AND THE MASKS DEPLOYED AGAIN. WE INFORMED THE COCKPIT AND PURSER. UPON LNDG IN ZZZ2 MECHS CAME ONBOARD AND PROCEEDED TO REPACK THE MASKS. THEY SAID THEY COULD TELL THAT THE BOTTLE HAD NOT BEEN DISCHARGED AND THAT THE PROB WAS THAT THE LATCH ON THE PANEL COVER WAS BENT. THEY SAID THEY RE-BENT IT AND IT SHOULD STAY IN PLACE NOW. MYSELF AND THE CREW LEFT THE ACFT AT THAT POINT FOR OUR NEXT FLT BUT WE DID NOTICE THAT THE PANEL WAS STILL NOT FLUSH TO THE CEILING. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THAT OTHER THAN BEING TOLD THE OXYGEN CANISTER WOULD BE VERY HOT IF; IN FACT; THE CANISTER HAD DISCHARGED; NO ONE HAS EXPLAINED WHAT ELSE TO BE AWARE OF; FOR A USED OXYGEN GENERATOR CANISTER.

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.