Narrative:

The doubler that was manufactured was the second doubler of its kind. The first doubler was scrapped. That was the one I manufactured, another mechanic manufactured the second doubler and back drilled holes. Due to the area and contour of 2 different skins butted together by manufacturer, correct roll for contour on the doubler was difficult to obtain, corners of doubler when in the installation stage would not lay flat on existing skins, therefore large washers on ends of clecos were used to bring the doubler against the aircraft skin. Still could not be obtained, the doubler was then removed by me and another mechanic. We then re-rolled the doubler to gain better fit and contour. Another shift started installing the necessary fasteners and when I returned on my shift I was given the task of finishing the repair. The aft corner of doubler still would not lay flat. I then used washers under clecos to draw outer edge down, in which at this time became successful. I then replaced numerous amounts of poorly installed rivets through doubler. The fasteners that were installed wre driven too far, causing a large bucktail and leaving a ring-like mark under bucktail. I reinstalled rivets, new ones, keeping bucktails uniform. Also during this time, I replaced several high locks which the heads were protruding out of face of doubler too far. Re-counter sunk holes and reinstalled high locks. The lengths of grip on several other high locks were also incorrect, thus I replaced with correct size also. I feel the problem had been enlarged due to too many shifts and mechanics trying to complete the task. Also, the biggest factor is the type of repair itself, the airbus structural repair manual gives 2 separate repairs on the same sheet thus confusing the mechanics. The repair offers no assistance for a doubler that does not meet the proper contour of the aircraft due to the manufacturer's assembly of aircraft skins that are butted together and have different compound curves to many repairs on same page of structural repair manual.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 320 EXPERIENCING A SHEET METAL DOUBLER REPAIR TO THE FUSELAGE SKIN INVOLVING COMPOUND CURVES HAS CONFLICTING AND CONFUSING TYPICAL REPAIRS IN THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL.

Narrative: THE DOUBLER THAT WAS MANUFACTURED WAS THE SECOND DOUBLER OF ITS KIND. THE FIRST DOUBLER WAS SCRAPPED. THAT WAS THE ONE I MANUFACTURED, ANOTHER MECH MANUFACTURED THE SECOND DOUBLER AND BACK DRILLED HOLES. DUE TO THE AREA AND CONTOUR OF 2 DIFFERENT SKINS BUTTED TOGETHER BY MANUFACTURER, CORRECT ROLL FOR CONTOUR ON THE DOUBLER WAS DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN, CORNERS OF DOUBLER WHEN IN THE INSTALLATION STAGE WOULD NOT LAY FLAT ON EXISTING SKINS, THEREFORE LARGE WASHERS ON ENDS OF CLECOS WERE USED TO BRING THE DOUBLER AGAINST THE ACFT SKIN. STILL COULD NOT BE OBTAINED, THE DOUBLER WAS THEN REMOVED BY ME AND ANOTHER MECH. WE THEN RE-ROLLED THE DOUBLER TO GAIN BETTER FIT AND CONTOUR. ANOTHER SHIFT STARTED INSTALLING THE NECESSARY FASTENERS AND WHEN I RETURNED ON MY SHIFT I WAS GIVEN THE TASK OF FINISHING THE REPAIR. THE AFT CORNER OF DOUBLER STILL WOULD NOT LAY FLAT. I THEN USED WASHERS UNDER CLECOS TO DRAW OUTER EDGE DOWN, IN WHICH AT THIS TIME BECAME SUCCESSFUL. I THEN REPLACED NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF POORLY INSTALLED RIVETS THROUGH DOUBLER. THE FASTENERS THAT WERE INSTALLED WRE DRIVEN TOO FAR, CAUSING A LARGE BUCKTAIL AND LEAVING A RING-LIKE MARK UNDER BUCKTAIL. I REINSTALLED RIVETS, NEW ONES, KEEPING BUCKTAILS UNIFORM. ALSO DURING THIS TIME, I REPLACED SEVERAL HIGH LOCKS WHICH THE HEADS WERE PROTRUDING OUT OF FACE OF DOUBLER TOO FAR. RE-COUNTER SUNK HOLES AND REINSTALLED HIGH LOCKS. THE LENGTHS OF GRIP ON SEVERAL OTHER HIGH LOCKS WERE ALSO INCORRECT, THUS I REPLACED WITH CORRECT SIZE ALSO. I FEEL THE PROB HAD BEEN ENLARGED DUE TO TOO MANY SHIFTS AND MECHS TRYING TO COMPLETE THE TASK. ALSO, THE BIGGEST FACTOR IS THE TYPE OF REPAIR ITSELF, THE AIRBUS STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL GIVES 2 SEPARATE REPAIRS ON THE SAME SHEET THUS CONFUSING THE MECHS. THE REPAIR OFFERS NO ASSISTANCE FOR A DOUBLER THAT DOES NOT MEET THE PROPER CONTOUR OF THE ACFT DUE TO THE MANUFACTURER'S ASSEMBLY OF ACFT SKINS THAT ARE BUTTED TOGETHER AND HAVE DIFFERENT COMPOUND CURVES TO MANY REPAIRS ON SAME PAGE OF STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL.

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.