Narrative:

I received a radio call from a maintenance tech vxvx in regards to aircraft xyz leading edge horizontal stabilizer dents. I went to aircraft at gate xx, l-hand leading edge had (3) dents. Inboard dent had a marking, outboard dent had a marking, meaning they were previously deferred. The middle dent was the main dent in question. I had the technician pull up the B737-300 srm (structural repair manual) to see what the limits were. Technician came back to aircraft with srm 737-300. It was determined that dent was within limits. Log page was signed off as 'per srm, dent is within limits.' marking applied to dent area. Aircraft proceeded to WWW. In the next hour, I became curious about any time limitations that may be associated with this dent. It was then that I pulled up the srm to further check any limits, and found that 2 pages had been left out. One page had the zone dimensions which gave you a certain repair with flight hours. In this case we fell into zone 3. Zone 3 stipulates that for a 3 inch wide by .187 deep dent: 1) you fill dent per srm's. 2) seal damaged with aluminum speed tape. 3) make a detailed visual inspection of the damage at each 400 flight hour intervals, if there are cracks or the damage has become larger, repair the damage. 4) install a permanent repair after no more than 5000 flight hours or 18 months, that which occurs first. I then notified my manager on duty of this situation. I also notified ZZZ air carrier maintenance of the situation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A HORIZ STABILIZER LEADING EDGE DENT DAMAGE OUT OF LIMITS PER THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL.

Narrative: I RECEIVED A RADIO CALL FROM A MAINT TECH VXVX IN REGARDS TO ACFT XYZ LEADING EDGE HORIZ STABILIZER DENTS. I WENT TO ACFT AT GATE XX, L-HAND LEADING EDGE HAD (3) DENTS. INBOARD DENT HAD A MARKING, OUTBOARD DENT HAD A MARKING, MEANING THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY DEFERRED. THE MIDDLE DENT WAS THE MAIN DENT IN QUESTION. I HAD THE TECHNICIAN PULL UP THE B737-300 SRM (STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL) TO SEE WHAT THE LIMITS WERE. TECHNICIAN CAME BACK TO ACFT WITH SRM 737-300. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT DENT WAS WITHIN LIMITS. LOG PAGE WAS SIGNED OFF AS 'PER SRM, DENT IS WITHIN LIMITS.' MARKING APPLIED TO DENT AREA. ACFT PROCEEDED TO WWW. IN THE NEXT HOUR, I BECAME CURIOUS ABOUT ANY TIME LIMITATIONS THAT MAY BE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS DENT. IT WAS THEN THAT I PULLED UP THE SRM TO FURTHER CHK ANY LIMITS, AND FOUND THAT 2 PAGES HAD BEEN LEFT OUT. ONE PAGE HAD THE ZONE DIMENSIONS WHICH GAVE YOU A CERTAIN REPAIR WITH FLT HOURS. IN THIS CASE WE FELL INTO ZONE 3. ZONE 3 STIPULATES THAT FOR A 3 INCH WIDE BY .187 DEEP DENT: 1) YOU FILL DENT PER SRM'S. 2) SEAL DAMAGED WITH ALUMINUM SPEED TAPE. 3) MAKE A DETAILED VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE DAMAGE AT EACH 400 FLT HR INTERVALS, IF THERE ARE CRACKS OR THE DAMAGE HAS BECOME LARGER, REPAIR THE DAMAGE. 4) INSTALL A PERMANENT REPAIR AFTER NO MORE THAN 5000 FLT HRS OR 18 MONTHS, THAT WHICH OCCURS FIRST. I THEN NOTIFIED MY MGR ON DUTY OF THIS SIT. I ALSO NOTIFIED ZZZ ACR MAINT OF THE SIT.

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.