A B737-400 WITH LOG RPT OF L-2 DOOR HANDLE DOES NOT RETRACT WAS WORKED AND CLRED; BUT INSPECTION BLOCK WAS NOT SIGNED. INSPECTOR MADE INSPECTION AND SIGNED LOGBOOK PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative

ZZZ LINE MAINT WAS MADE AWARE THAT ACFT X HAD EXPERIENCED AN L-2 DOOR PROB 'EXTERIOR DOOR HANDLE DID NOT RECESS PROPERLY.' THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AROUND THE WORK GROUP OF THERE BEING INSTANCES WHERE THE SPRING INSIDE THE DOOR THAT PERFORMS THE HANDLE RETRACTION FUNCTION BREAKS. WHEN THE LOG PAGE WAS REVIEWED PRIOR TO REMOVING IT FROM THE LOGBOOK FOR ENTRY; IT WAS NOTED THAT THE INSPECTION BLOCK WAS BLANK; AND IT WAS NOT CLR TO ME IF THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT OR NOT IN THIS INSTANCE. TO AVOID A NON COMPLIANCE ISSUE; I DECIDED TO GO OUT TO THE ACFT AND VERIFY THE HANDLE RECESS FUNCTION WAS OPERATING NORMALLY. I TOOK A LIFT TRUCK OUT TO THE ACFT; WENT UP TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE DOOR; DID A PHYSICAL CHK OF THE RETRACT FUNCTION OF THE HANDLE INTO THE RECESS AND FOUND THAT TO BE NORMAL. I DID NOT OPEN THE DOOR; AS THE WRITE-UP SPECIFIED THAT THE HANDLE NOT RETRACTING PROPERLY INTO THE RECESS WAS THE SPECIFIC ITEM IN QUESTION. ONE OTHER REASON FOR NOT OPENING THE DOOR WAS THAT THIS WAS A LIVE FLT; PAX FULLY LOADED AND DOOR SLIDE ARMED. I PLACED MY SIGNATURE ON THE RII BLOCK AND PULLED THE PAGE. THE ACFT LOG WAS GIVEN BACK TO THE CREW AND THE FLT DEPARTED. POST MAINT DISCUSSION CONCLUDED THAT INSPECTION BUYBACK WAS NOT NECESSARY IN THIS INSTANCE; BUT LOOKING AT THE DOOR HANDLE MECHANISM AS A REDUNDANT FUNCTION WAS PROBABLY THE RIGHT THING TO DO.