A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A FUSELAGE SKIN DENT AND STRINGER DEFORMATION IN CONFLICT WITH THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL LIMITS.

Narrative

FOUND ON ARR; WAS A CREASE TYPE DENT IN THE FUSELAGE SKIN APPROX 2 FT AFT OF DOOR 2L. THE DENT WAS NEARLY VERT AND RAN ACROSS A STRINGER. THE SKIN DENT WAS FOUND TO BE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF MAINT MANUAL XX-YY-ZZ PARAGRAPH 2.A(4). I WAS CALLED TO INVESTIGATE DAMAGE FOUND ON ARR AND ASSIST IN GENERAL; AS THE SUPVR. I CHKED THE DAMAGE VISUALLY AND CALLED FOR AN INSPECTOR WITH EDDY CURRENT EQUIP TO DETERMINE IF ANY CRACKS EXISTED IN THE SKIN. INSPECTION USING NON DESTRUCTIVE TESTING. CONFIRMED NO CRACKS AND I CHKED THE SUPPORTING STRUCTURE. I FOUND THAT THE STRINGER HAD BEEN DISPLACED SLIGHTLY AS WOULD BE EXPECTED FROM THE DENTED SKIN; BUT I SAW NO DAMAGE. WITH NO STRINGER DAMAGE; THE CONDITION WAS DETERMINED (BY ME) TO BE WITHIN SPECS OF MAINT MANUAL XX-YY-ZZ PARAGRAPH 2.1(4) AND I DEFERRED REPAIR. I THEN MADE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE REPAIR TO BE MADE AT FLT TERMINATION OF THAT DAY IN ZZZ. DURING THAT REPAIR; THE AREA WAS DISASSEMBLED FOR INSPECTION AND THE STRINGER WAS FOUND TO BE DENTED. THE DAMAGE WAS IN AN UNPRESSURIZED AREA AND THE STRINGER DAMAGE WAS NOT A CREASE; BUT A SLIGHT DENT IN THE SKIN ATTACHMENT FLANGE. THE INSPECTION AND SUBSEQUENT REPAIRS WERE THEN COMPLETED.