AN AIRBUS 300 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON-COMPLIANCE WITH UNAPPROVED REPAIRS MADE TO THE CARGO COMPARTMENT COMPOSITE LINERS.

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VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE AIRBUS FLEET HAS ILLEGAL CARGO SIDEWALL REPAIRS. PER ACR REPAIR DOCUMENT; DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE MUST BE FILLED IN WITH FIRE RETARDANT FILLER MATERIAL. MOST AIRBUSES HAVE SPD PATCHES INSTALLED WITHOUT REPAIRING THE COMPOSITE SANDWICH. I FOUND SUCH A REPAIR ON XYZ ON JAN/XA/00. I BELIEVE ALL THE SPD PATCHES INSTALLED DON'T HAVE THE PROPER REPAIR BENEATH THE SURFACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRBUS 300 FLEET CARGO COMPARTMENT COMPOSITE LINERS ARE NOT BEING REPAIRED PER THE ACR SUPPLEMENT TO THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL. THE RPTR SAID THE TEAR OR HOLE IN THE 0.250 INCH THICK COMPOSITE REQUIRES A FIRE RETARDANT FILLER MATERIAL TO COVER THE DAMAGED AREA AND THEN A 'QUICK STICK' PATCH OVER THE FIRE RETARDANT FILLER MATERIAL. THE RPTR SAID THIS IS NOT BEING DONE CONSISTENTLY DUE TO SCHEDULE PRESSURE AND A REPAIR IS MADE USING ONLY THE 'QUICK STICK' 0.090 INCH THICK FIBERGLASS PATCH. THE RPTR STATED A FIBERGLASS REPAIR IS ONLY PERMITTED ON OTHER ACFT WITH THIN WALL CARGO COMPARTMENT LINERS.