A BELT LOADER KNOCKED OFF THE #3 ANTENNA NEAR THE AFT CARGO DOOR. MAINT ILLEGALLY AUTHORIZED THE ACFT TO BE FLOWN WITH AN ITEM NOT COVERED BY MEL/CDL.

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WHILE PARKED AT ZZZZ A BELT LOADER IMPACTED ANTENNA #3; WHICH IS LOCATED JUST BELOW THE AFT CARGO DOOR. THE ANTENNA WAS BROKEN OFF 4 INCHES BELOW THE BASE. IT WAS APPARENT THAT ONLY THE ANTENNA AND NOT THE ACFT FUSELAGE HAD BEEN HIT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE OR RIPPLING OF THE SKIN; AND THE BASE OF THE ANTENNA WAS SECURELY INTACT. MAINT CTL WAS CONTACTED AND PHOTOS WERE SENT VIA EMAIL. THEY SAID THAT SINCE THE FUSELAGE AND ANTENNA BASE WERE NOT DAMAGED THE ACFT COULD BE DISPATCHED WITH MINOR REPAIRS. THEY WERE REPEATEDLY QUERIED AS TO THEIR AUTH IN THIS MATTER AND REPLIED THAT THEY HAD FULL AUTH. AN ATTEMPT WAS MADE UNSUCCESSFULLY TO CONTACT THE CHIEF PLT TWICE BUT I DID NOT TRY ANY OTHER CHIEFS ON DUTY. FOLLOWING MAINT CTL'S INSISTENCE THAT THEY HAD THE AUTH; THE LCL CONTRACT MECH REMOVED THE BROKEN DANGLING PIECE; SECURED THE WIRES AND SPD TAPED THE ENTIRE BASE AND DECLARED THE ACFT READY FOR DEP. AFTER CHKING THE MEL AND SUBSEQUENT WORK PLUS CONFERRING WITH MY FO WE ACCEPTED THE ACFT AND FLEW TO ZZZ WITHOUT ANY PROBS. UPON DISCUSSION THE FOLLOWING DAY WITH THE CHIEF PLT IT WAS LEARNED THAT MAINT CTL DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTH IN MATTERS THAT ARE NOT COVERED BY THE MEL AND CDL; WHICH THIS COULD FALL INTO. WE NOW UNDERSTAND THAT IN MATTERS SUCH AS THIS; EVERY EFFORT SHOULD BE MADE TO CONTACT A CHIEF PLT FOR CONSULTATION AND THE ACFT SHOULD NOT BE FLOWN UNTIL THEN. FURTHER; THAT MAINT CTL DOES NOT HAVE THE AUTH IN THESE SITUATIONS. WE REQUEST THAT ALL FLT CREWS BE MADE AWARE OF THIS FACT AND THAT THOSE INVOLVED AT MAINT CTL BE APPROPRIATELY COUNSELED.