A B737-300 INCURRED NOSE GEAR DAMAGE IN 1997 BUT FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS DID NOT CARRY FORWARD OLD DAMAGE AS WELL AS NEW DAMAGE FOUND DUE TO JOB CARD INTERP.

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IN 1997 ACFT X SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO NOSE AREA OF FUSELAGE. DAMAGE AT THE TIME WAS DETERMINED MINOR. NO FURTHER ACTION TAKEN AND DAMAGE ENTERED ON ACFT DAMAGE FILE. ON FEB/MON/00; ACFT WAS IN HVY MAINT FOR QUALITY CHK. I PERFORMED AN INSPECTION OF ACFT AND ACCOMPLISHED JOB CARD X (ADF). STEP 3 OF CARD ASKS TO RECHK DAMAGE FOR FURTHER PROGRESSION; NONE WAS NOTED. IT ALSO ASKS FOR YOU TO XFER ITEMS TO X DISCREPANCY CARDS. MY INTERP WAS FOR ANY NEW DAMAGE ITEMS WHICH THERE WERE NONE AT THE TIME. RECENTLY; ACR X ACCOMPLISHED A SELF AUDIT AND FOUND THAT THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURRED IN 1997 SHOULD HAVE HAD REPETITIVE INSPECTIONS AND NOT JUST SIGNED OFF ONTO THE DAMAGE FILE OF THE ACFT. THEY ALSO NOTED THAT IN FEB/00 DURING QUALITY CHK; NO ITEMS WERE WRITTEN. THEY FEEL THAT SHOULD I HAVE WRITTEN ALL DAMAGE ITEMS THAT WERE LISTED ON THE ACFT DAMAGE FILE; THAT THE ORIGINAL OVERSIGHT WOULD HAVE BEEN PICKED UP AND CORRECTED. IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTN THAT I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH THE INTENT OF THE JOB CARD. I EXPLAINED TO THE CHIEF INSPECTOR FOR ACR X THE REASON I DID NOT ACCOMPLISH THIS AND WE BOTH AGREED THAT FURTHER CLARIFICATION WAS NEEDED TO CORRECT ANY FUTURE DISCREPANCIES; NOT ONLY BY ME BUT ANY INSPECTOR. AT PRESENT; THE INSPECTION DEPT IS LOOKING INTO CLARIFYING THE SIT.