A DA20 FALCON WAS DISPATCHED IN A QUESTIONABLE AIRWORTHINESS CONDITION AFTER HAIL DAMAGE REPAIR ACCOMPLISHED.

Narrative

ACFT RECEIVED HAIL DAMAGE TO RADOME; NAV LIGHTS; LEADING EDGES AND ENG INLETS ON DSCNT INTO SHV ON JAN/XA/99. COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL WAS FLOWN IN TO FIX THE PLANE. I ARRIVED LATER THAT DAY AND WAS THEN ASSIGNED TO THAT ACFT. ON JAN/XC/99; I WAS ASSIGNED A TRIP OUT OF SHV. THE ACFT LOG WAS SIGNED OFF AS AIRWORTHY; ALL SQUAWKS WERE CLRED BY OUR COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL. WHILE PREFLTING THE PLANE; I NOTICED DIMPLING ON THE WING LEADING EDGES AND ON ENG INLETS AND BULLETS. I CHKED THE FANS AND FRONT TURBINE BLADES AND SAW NO OBVIOUS DAMAGE. I PROCEEDED TO FLY THE TRIP ASSIGNED TO ME AND ENDED AT OUR COMPANY MAINT BASE IN ZZZ. THE NEXT DAY I'M TOLD THAT THE PLANE HAD 'SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE' AND SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN FLOWN. MOST OF OUR PLANES HAVE DIMPLES ON THE LEADING EDGES BUT I AM TOLD THAT THOSE ARE 'WITHIN TOLERANCES.' HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT THE DIMPLES IN THE ONE I FLEW WERE NOT 'WITHIN TOLERANCES' AND CONSTITUTE 'SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE?' I WAS COUNTING ON OUR PROFESSIONAL MAINT PERSONNEL TO CERTIFY THAT THE PLANE WAS AIRWORTHY AND THEY DID. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE PREFLT CHK REVEALED SMALL DENTS IN THE WING AND STABILIZER LEADING EDGES BUT NOTHING THE REST OF THE FLEET DID NOT DISPLAY. THE RPTR SAID THE MAINT RELEASE WAS SIGNED IN THE LOGBOOK AND THE AIRPLANE WAS LEGAL TO FLY. THE RPTR LATER WAS ADVISED THE WING LEADING EDGE DENTS WERE OUT OF LIMITS AND THE ACFT WAS DEEMED UNAIRWORTHY. THE RPTR SAID THE FAA WAS CONTACTED BY THE RPTR AND ABSOLVED FROM ANY CULPABILITY OF OPERATING THE ACFT IN NON COMPLIANCE.