A B777-200 incurred skin damage below aft bulk pit door and a technician was required to make an eddy current check of the skin with an unfamiliar test instrument.

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Attributes
ACN	521128
Time
Date	200108
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : o90.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B777-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : powerplant technician : inspection authority technician : airframe
Experience	maintenance technician : 18
ASRS Report	521128
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical ground encounters : vehicle maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : maint 1
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : unqualified personnel performance deficiency : testing performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Chart Or Publication Aircraft Company Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Air carrier X aircraft XXXX was damaged at the gate. Area of damage was below aft bulk pit. Unknown what company investigation revealed as cause of damage is unknown. Damage was discovered after arrival maintenance did arrival inspection. Damage was evaluated by a line engineer and a supervisor. Some concern on my part arose over their evaluation of the damage per the structural repair manual. I was asked to perform a visual and eddy current inspection. Upon open up of the area, I considered the damage. It also became apparent that the company wanted this trip to go. I was required to use a machine, miz-10B, of which I was not familiar, I calibrated it for required meter deflection and inspected the area (with the supervisor looking on). No defects were noted. I requested further engineering evaluation to confirm my results. I believe underlying pressure was present, so the flight could depart, from management. In addition, working under a restraining order did not help.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B777-200 INCURRED SKIN DAMAGE BELOW AFT BULK PIT DOOR AND A TECHNICIAN WAS REQUIRED TO MAKE AN EDDY CURRENT CHK OF THE SKIN WITH AN UNFAMILIAR TEST INST.

Narrative: ACR X ACFT XXXX WAS DAMAGED AT THE GATE. AREA OF DAMAGE WAS BELOW AFT BULK PIT. UNKNOWN WHAT COMPANY INVESTIGATION REVEALED AS CAUSE OF DAMAGE IS UNKNOWN. DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED AFTER ARR MAINT DID ARR INSPECTION. DAMAGE WAS EVALUATED BY A LINE ENGINEER AND A SUPVR. SOME CONCERN ON MY PART AROSE OVER THEIR EVALUATION OF THE DAMAGE PER THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL. I WAS ASKED TO PERFORM A VISUAL AND EDDY CURRENT INSPECTION. UPON OPEN UP OF THE AREA, I CONSIDERED THE DAMAGE. IT ALSO BECAME APPARENT THAT THE COMPANY WANTED THIS TRIP TO GO. I WAS REQUIRED TO USE A MACHINE, MIZ-10B, OF WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR, I CALIBRATED IT FOR REQUIRED METER DEFLECTION AND INSPECTED THE AREA (WITH THE SUPVR LOOKING ON). NO DEFECTS WERE NOTED. I REQUESTED FURTHER ENGINEERING EVALUATION TO CONFIRM MY RESULTS. I BELIEVE UNDERLYING PRESSURE WAS PRESENT, SO THE FLT COULD DEPART, FROM MGMNT. IN ADDITION, WORKING UNDER A RESTRAINING ORDER DID NOT HELP.

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.