C152 ACFT; BELONGING TO FLYING SCHOOL; WAS HIT ON THE PROP SPINNER BY ANOTHER ACFT BEING TOWED. WITHOUT NOTIFYING ANY OF THE OWNERS; A MECH AT THE ARPT REMOVED THE SPINNER AND BEAT OUT THE DENT. DISCOVERED BY RPTR ON WALK AROUND INSPECTION.

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TODAY; OCT/XX/96; WHILE VISITING THE ARPT; I MET UP WITH THE PRESIDENT OF XXX; MR. A. I DO CONTRACT MAINT THROUGH THE COMPANY I WORK FOR; ON TRAINING ACFT -- A C152. MR. A AND I WALKED OUT ON THE FLT LINE TO LOOK AT RUSSIAN YAK ACFT THAT WAS PARKED ON THE FLT LINE. WHEN WE WERE COMPLETE WE WALKED OVER TO ACFT Z TO CHK THE OIL AND SEE HOW SHE LOOKED. AS WE WERE ABOUT TO LEAVE; I WALKED AROUND THE NOSE AND NOTICED SOME PAINT DAMAGE TO THE PROP SPINNER WHICH I HAD NOT SEEN BEFORE. I ASKED MR. A ABOUT THE DAMAGE AND HE WAS AS SURPRISED AS I THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. THE DAMAGE APPEARED TO BE A 3 INCH DIAMETER DENT WHICH HAD BEEN POUNDED OUT FROM INSIDE THE SPINNER LOCATED ABOUT 1/2 WAY BTWN THE TIP OF THE SPINNER AND THE PROP BLADE. IT APPEARED THAT SOMEONE EITHER TAXIED A WINGTIP INTO THE SPINNER OR SOMEONE TOWED AN AIRPLANE WINGTIP INTO THE SPINNER. I WALKED DOWN THE TIE-DOWN LINE TO SEE IF I COULD FIND AN AIRPLANE WITH RED PAINT XFER ON THE WINGTIP. THE FIRST AIRPLANE I EXAMINED HAD RED PAINT XFERS THAT MATCHED Z'S COLOR ON THE WINGTIP. THE PAINT XFER WAS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE DROPPED SECTION OF THE WINGTIP. THERE WERE 2; 3/4 INCH CRACKS WHICH WERE EMANATING FROM THE FIBERGLASS WINGTIP; ONE FROM THE REAR AND ONE FROM THE END ABOUT 2/3 BACK. WHEN I MOVED THE REAR LOWER PART OF THE WINGTIP THE TRAILING EDGE OPENED UP REVEALING A COMPLETE DELAMINATION OF THE REAR OF THE WINGTIP (APPROX 8 INCHES). MR. Z CONTACTED THE OWNER OF THE ACFT; WHO IMMEDIATELY CAME TO THE ARPT. AFTER A FEW QUESTIONS WERE ASKED THE FACTS OF THE INCIDENT CAME OUT. SOMETIME BTWN OCT/XX/96 AND OCT/YY/96 A MECH TOWED THE ACFT TO ITS PARKING SPACE STRIKING Z. THE OWNER OF THE MAINT SHOP; WITHOUT NOTIFYING EITHER OWNER OR WITHOUT PERMISSION OR AUTH; REMOVED THE SPINNER FROM Z AND BEAT OUT THE DENT. THE SPINNER WAS THEN REINSTALLED ON Z WITHOUT A PROPER RETURN TO SVC ENTRY IN THE ACFT LOGBOOKS. Z HAS BEEN FLOWN DOZENS OF TIMES BY STUDENTS; SOME SOLO AND SOME WITH INSTRUCTORS; WHO ASSUMED THE ACFT WAS LEGAL AND SAFE TO FLY. THE OWNER OF THE ACFT HAS FLOWN HIS AIRPLANE A COUPLE TIMES INCLUDING A TRIP TO XXX. IT IS INCONCEIVABLE TO ME THAT AN A&P MECH COULD BE SO STUPID NOT TO NOTIFY THE OWNER OF THE AIRPLANES INVOLVED AND COULD ALLOW EITHER AIRPLANE TO CONTINUE SVC WITHOUT THE PROPER SIGNOFF IN THE LOGBOOKS. THIS A&P IS NOT A ROOKIE. HE HAS BEEN WORKING ON AIRPLANES FOR 40+ YRS.