A B747-400 was dispatched in non compliance with a skin dent forward of door 2L beyond srm limits.

Attributes
ACN	483010
Time
Date	200008
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B747-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : inspector
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance lead technician : 1 maintenance technician : 11
ASRS Report	483010
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	oversight : supervisor
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : airframe
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : mech 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Aircraft was found damaged on arrival turning for outbound flight abc. I was called to eddy current a dent just forward of the L2 door. On inspection, the damage was found to be out of limits per srm. It was 3/8 inches deep (maximum 1/8 inch) and 5 inches from a skin seam (minimum 10 inches). Supervisor vx wxxv was notified. His reaction was to call for an engineer to write an engineering variance authority/authorized. I completed the eddy current with no cracks found, and explained to vx wxxv that I would 'sign' for the eddy current only if an engineering variance authority/authorized were written. The results were, the engineer did not write an engineering variance authority/authorized and mr X made a straight deferral on the damage in order to get the aircraft 'out of town.' I did not sign for the inspection and only found out about the deferral after the aircraft left. I subsequently called the line maintenance controller (yxb) and explained the situation and the damage, in which he had given his authority/authorized for the deferral. His reply was 'had I known what the damage was, I would not have let the aircraft leave.' I then updated the item (DF zxz) on aircraft xyz with my findings. The next day it flew to XXX for repair.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B747-400 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A SKIN DENT FORWARD OF DOOR 2L BEYOND SRM LIMITS.

Narrative: ACFT WAS FOUND DAMAGED ON ARR TURNING FOR OUTBOUND FLT ABC. I WAS CALLED TO EDDY CURRENT A DENT JUST FORWARD OF THE L2 DOOR. ON INSPECTION, THE DAMAGE WAS FOUND TO BE OUT OF LIMITS PER SRM. IT WAS 3/8 INCHES DEEP (MAX 1/8 INCH) AND 5 INCHES FROM A SKIN SEAM (MINIMUM 10 INCHES). SUPVR VX WXXV WAS NOTIFIED. HIS REACTION WAS TO CALL FOR AN ENGINEER TO WRITE AN ENGINEERING VARIANCE AUTH. I COMPLETED THE EDDY CURRENT WITH NO CRACKS FOUND, AND EXPLAINED TO VX WXXV THAT I WOULD 'SIGN' FOR THE EDDY CURRENT ONLY IF AN ENGINEERING VARIANCE AUTH WERE WRITTEN. THE RESULTS WERE, THE ENGINEER DID NOT WRITE AN ENGINEERING VARIANCE AUTH AND MR X MADE A STRAIGHT DEFERRAL ON THE DAMAGE IN ORDER TO GET THE ACFT 'OUT OF TOWN.' I DID NOT SIGN FOR THE INSPECTION AND ONLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THE DEFERRAL AFTER THE ACFT LEFT. I SUBSEQUENTLY CALLED THE LINE MAINT CTLR (YXB) AND EXPLAINED THE SIT AND THE DAMAGE, IN WHICH HE HAD GIVEN HIS AUTH FOR THE DEFERRAL. HIS REPLY WAS 'HAD I KNOWN WHAT THE DAMAGE WAS, I WOULD NOT HAVE LET THE ACFT LEAVE.' I THEN UPDATED THE ITEM (DF ZXZ) ON ACFT XYZ WITH MY FINDINGS. THE NEXT DAY IT FLEW TO XXX FOR REPAIR.

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.