Narrative:

On sep/xa/00 at approximately XA15 while closing in some safety sliders on our aircraft docking structure, I accidentally created damage to the skin of ship xyz of air carrier B757 fleet with the tool we use to move the safety sliders. The aircraft was in its last couple of days of overhaul. I don't remember the exact location of the damage but I believe it was located somewhere between sta 440 and sta 540 about 10-25 inches above the cabin floor line on the l-hand side. I reported the damage and a non routine work card was generated. The damage was initially evaluated as a dent and was to be checked to see if it was in limits per B757 srm 53-00-01-1-101. The dent was smooth but irregular in shape except for the very center where it appeared to have a small amount of paint which had been pushed into a little mound so to speak (see attached sketch). Examination revealed no bare metal gouges so it was concluded that it was in fact a dent. It was determined that the dent was technically within limits when using the edges of the outer indentation (see attached sketch). However, if you look at the most severe area of the indentation itself, it may not be. A couple of days later, I began to doubt if the measurements I used were actually the ones I should have used. The minor axis dimension I used was the smallest of the outer indentation, but I wonder if the minor axis dimension should actually be from the edges of the inner indentation. I'm not an engineer, but the more I think about it, it seems to me that if there is any area of the dent that is out of limits, then the whole thing should be. This possibility is not addressed in the srm reference we used. Inspection bought it and the aircraft is now in service.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B767-200 INCURRED A FUSELAGE SKIN DENT DURING THE DOCKING PROC AND THE RPTR IS CONCERNED OVER THE SRM LIMITS AND INTERP.

Narrative: ON SEP/XA/00 AT APPROX XA15 WHILE CLOSING IN SOME SAFETY SLIDERS ON OUR ACFT DOCKING STRUCTURE, I ACCIDENTALLY CREATED DAMAGE TO THE SKIN OF SHIP XYZ OF ACR B757 FLEET WITH THE TOOL WE USE TO MOVE THE SAFETY SLIDERS. THE ACFT WAS IN ITS LAST COUPLE OF DAYS OF OVERHAUL. I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE DAMAGE BUT I BELIEVE IT WAS LOCATED SOMEWHERE BTWN STA 440 AND STA 540 ABOUT 10-25 INCHES ABOVE THE CABIN FLOOR LINE ON THE L-HAND SIDE. I RPTED THE DAMAGE AND A NON ROUTINE WORK CARD WAS GENERATED. THE DAMAGE WAS INITIALLY EVALUATED AS A DENT AND WAS TO BE CHKED TO SEE IF IT WAS IN LIMITS PER B757 SRM 53-00-01-1-101. THE DENT WAS SMOOTH BUT IRREGULAR IN SHAPE EXCEPT FOR THE VERY CTR WHERE IT APPEARED TO HAVE A SMALL AMOUNT OF PAINT WHICH HAD BEEN PUSHED INTO A LITTLE MOUND SO TO SPEAK (SEE ATTACHED SKETCH). EXAMINATION REVEALED NO BARE METAL GOUGES SO IT WAS CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS IN FACT A DENT. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE DENT WAS TECHNICALLY WITHIN LIMITS WHEN USING THE EDGES OF THE OUTER INDENTATION (SEE ATTACHED SKETCH). HOWEVER, IF YOU LOOK AT THE MOST SEVERE AREA OF THE INDENTATION ITSELF, IT MAY NOT BE. A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER, I BEGAN TO DOUBT IF THE MEASUREMENTS I USED WERE ACTUALLY THE ONES I SHOULD HAVE USED. THE MINOR AXIS DIMENSION I USED WAS THE SMALLEST OF THE OUTER INDENTATION, BUT I WONDER IF THE MINOR AXIS DIMENSION SHOULD ACTUALLY BE FROM THE EDGES OF THE INNER INDENTATION. I'M NOT AN ENGINEER, BUT THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IF THERE IS ANY AREA OF THE DENT THAT IS OUT OF LIMITS, THEN THE WHOLE THING SHOULD BE. THIS POSSIBILITY IS NOT ADDRESSED IN THE SRM REF WE USED. INSPECTION BOUGHT IT AND THE ACFT IS NOW IN SVC.

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.