A DC9-30 main entry door frame primary structural repair was accomplished improperly and not correct...

Narrative:

The situation occurred on air carrier aircraft at ZZZ on may/xx/97 at approximately XA00 while the aircraft was in dock for 'C-check.' we were working a repair on the aft door jamb of the main entry door. Sheet metal mechanic BBB came and brought me to the door jamb and showed me a plugged hole and blend out on the aft side of the door jamb behind the plugged hole. We had made the parts on may/xa/97 and the parts were drilled up on shift on may/xb/97. When the job was turned back to us on may/xb/97, the mechanic on the job was sheet metal mechanic CCC. He never mentioned a plugged hole with no edge distance to another repair fastener hole. The area was newly painted and the plug was well hidden. I cannot say for sure if the plug was put there on shift or if it previously existed. However, CCC, sheet metal mechanic assures me the plug was not there on may/xb/97 when we opened the area. I brought supervisor on shift to the jamb and showed him the plug. He then told me, and CCC, and the next shift sheet metal mechanic who was picking up the job, to continue on. He said if there was any problems with the job he would handle them. The point is that this is a major repair designated by the repair from engineering and a primary structural element area. Callback conversation revealed the following information: reporter states after the sheet metal mechanic started the repair someone who worked the job on a later shift drilled holes with inadequate edge distance and then attempted to cover or plug the holes to conceal the mistake. When the reporter advised the foreman of this condition and the need for rework he was given another job to work. He said the foreman advised him he would take care of this repair. The repair was later given to another sheet metal mechanic who completed the repair without corrective rework. The reporter emphatically states that this repair is located in a primary structural element.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 MAIN ENTRY DOOR FRAME PRIMARY STRUCTURAL REPAIR WAS ACCOMPLISHED IMPROPERLY AND NOT CORRECTED.

Narrative: THE SIT OCCURRED ON ACR ACFT AT ZZZ ON MAY/XX/97 AT APPROX XA00 WHILE THE ACFT WAS IN DOCK FOR 'C-CHK.' WE WERE WORKING A REPAIR ON THE AFT DOOR JAMB OF THE MAIN ENTRY DOOR. SHEET METAL MECH BBB CAME AND BROUGHT ME TO THE DOOR JAMB AND SHOWED ME A PLUGGED HOLE AND BLEND OUT ON THE AFT SIDE OF THE DOOR JAMB BEHIND THE PLUGGED HOLE. WE HAD MADE THE PARTS ON MAY/XA/97 AND THE PARTS WERE DRILLED UP ON SHIFT ON MAY/XB/97. WHEN THE JOB WAS TURNED BACK TO US ON MAY/XB/97, THE MECH ON THE JOB WAS SHEET METAL MECH CCC. HE NEVER MENTIONED A PLUGGED HOLE WITH NO EDGE DISTANCE TO ANOTHER REPAIR FASTENER HOLE. THE AREA WAS NEWLY PAINTED AND THE PLUG WAS WELL HIDDEN. I CANNOT SAY FOR SURE IF THE PLUG WAS PUT THERE ON SHIFT OR IF IT PREVIOUSLY EXISTED. HOWEVER, CCC, SHEET METAL MECH ASSURES ME THE PLUG WAS NOT THERE ON MAY/XB/97 WHEN WE OPENED THE AREA. I BROUGHT SUPVR ON SHIFT TO THE JAMB AND SHOWED HIM THE PLUG. HE THEN TOLD ME, AND CCC, AND THE NEXT SHIFT SHEET METAL MECH WHO WAS PICKING UP THE JOB, TO CONTINUE ON. HE SAID IF THERE WAS ANY PROBS WITH THE JOB HE WOULD HANDLE THEM. THE POINT IS THAT THIS IS A MAJOR REPAIR DESIGNATED BY THE REPAIR FROM ENGINEERING AND A PRIMARY STRUCTURAL ELEMENT AREA. CALLBACK CONVERSATION REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES AFTER THE SHEET METAL MECH STARTED THE REPAIR SOMEONE WHO WORKED THE JOB ON A LATER SHIFT DRILLED HOLES WITH INADEQUATE EDGE DISTANCE AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO COVER OR PLUG THE HOLES TO CONCEAL THE MISTAKE. WHEN THE RPTR ADVISED THE FOREMAN OF THIS CONDITION AND THE NEED FOR REWORK HE WAS GIVEN ANOTHER JOB TO WORK. HE SAID THE FOREMAN ADVISED HIM HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THIS REPAIR. THE REPAIR WAS LATER GIVEN TO ANOTHER SHEET METAL MECH WHO COMPLETED THE REPAIR WITHOUT CORRECTIVE REWORK. THE RPTR EMPHATICALLY STATES THAT THIS REPAIR IS LOCATED IN A PRIMARY STRUCTURAL ELEMENT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	367894
Time
Date	199705
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tower : lft
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	367894
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

A DC9-30 main entry door frame primary structural repair was accomplished improperly and not corrected.