B767-400 and 400 ER
Maintenance Avionics; Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Maintenance Lead Technician 6; Maintenance Technician 22
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR
General Maintenance Action
Human Factors; Logbook Entry; Company Policy; Aircraft
[I got a] last minute call for a broke [luggage] head bin at seat Row XXAB. Bin was fixed but the bin next to it; Row YYAB; was [also] broken. Work was in progress to fix bin YYAB; which I was not aware of. On the company radio; I was in contact with the flight crew. After talking with the flight attendants; the flight crew informed me that the problem was fixed. In order to continue on time I canceled the write-up for the broken bin at Row YYAB.After the aircraft departed; I was informed that the latches on bin at YYAB were not operational and that tape was on the bin to help keep it closed. The bin contained emergency equipment. I contacted Maintenance Control to let them know what was going on. They gave ZZZ1 a heads-up on the incoming problem. When the aircraft landed; ZZZ1 was able to fix the overhead bin. If I would have insisted that the aircraft come back to the gate [in ZZZ]; the problem would have been properly addressed before departure from ZZZ. I was in a rush to get the aircraft out on time; I didn't take the time for safety.
A Maintenance Supervisor was informed that he allowed a B767-400 aircraft to depart with non-operating latches for a cabin overhead luggage bin that contained emergency equipment. Tape had been applied to help keep the bin closed in flight; but was not documented. Concerns about meeting aircraft departure schedules were also noted.