AN MD-83 ACFT HINGE PIN FOR THE BENT-UP-TRAILING-EDGE (BUTE) PANEL JUST OUTBOARD OF THE INBOARD FLAP HINGE HAD MIGRATED OUT. DEFERRAL WAS AN ISSUE.

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HINGE PIN FOR THE BENT-UP-TRAILING-EDGE ('BUTE') JUST OUTBOARD OF THE INBOARD FLAP HINGE HAD BACKED OUT A FEW INCHES. A FEW HINGE SEGMENTS WERE UNPINNED. NOTHING TO STOP THE HINGE FROM BACKING OUT MORE. MECH SAID MAINT CTL WANTED HIM TO PLACARD IT PER MAINT MANUAL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT MAINT MANUAL APPLIES TO OBVIOUS NON-AIRWORTHINESS ITEMS; ONLY; SUCH AS TORN CURTAINS; GRAFFITI IN THE LAVATORY; ETC. I ASKED MAINT CTL HOW WE COULD CONSIDER A BUTE HINGE A NON-AIRWORTHINESS ITEM; AND IF HE COULD GUARANTEE ME THAT THE PIN WOULD NOT BACK OUT FURTHER; POSSIBLY FOULING THE INBOARD FLAP. HE SAID THAT IN HIS OPINION AS A MECH; IT WOULD NOT; AND HE SPENT MUCH OF THE CONVERSATION TALKING ABOUT THE EXTENSIVE DELAY THAT WOULD RESULT IF WE COULD NOT PLACARD THE HINGE PIN. WE ENDED THE CALL IN DISAGREEMENT. MEANWHILE; THE MECHS; THROUGH GREAT EFFORT; MANAGED TO MOVE THE PIN BACK INTO PLACE AND SAFETY-WIRE IT; SO THE MAINT MANUAL QUESTION BECAME MOOT. EITHER I; OR MAINT CTL HAVE THE WRONG IDEA ABOUT THE APPLICATION OF MAINT MANUAL PROC. CONSIDERING THE RECENT DEGRADATION OF OUR ACFT MAINT IN THE INTEREST OF COST SAVING; THIS IS A QUESTION THAT NEEDS TO BE PINNED DOWN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR IS CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR MAINTENANCE CONTROL GROUP TRYING TO DEFER AN AIRWORTHINESS ISSUE USING A PROCEDURES MANUAL THAT ONLY APPLIES TO NON-AIRWORTHINESS ITEMS. REPORTER DOES NOT KNOW IF THE SAFETY WIRING OF THE HINGE PIN WAS THE NORMAL PROCEDURE FOR SECURING PIN; BUT DID NOTE AN ADJACENT FLAP FAIRING WHICH WAS MISSING AND DEFERRED WOULD NORMALLY HAVE BEEN IN THE SAME LOCATION AND THIS FAIRING MAY HAVE BEEN WHAT WOULD HOLD THE HINGE PIN IN POSITION. THIS DEFERRED FAIRING HAD PLACED FLIGHT PENALTIES ON THIS ACFT'S OPERATION.