Narrative:

I found the aft left fuselage damaged, just below aft left service door around frame 68 S28L. During my walkaround of a through-flight requiring a daily check at gate, no one in my maintenance 4 group (including myself) has had to deal with a dent or gouge on an airbus. We tried to fumble through manuals. I contacted engineering for assistance, burnished the sharp edges, had inspection verify 'no cracks.' engineering initially said the area was out of limits, then he changed his mind, he now said it was ok. I wasn't sure, but my lead said it would be ok. So I signed it off as ok as is. I treated the area, added it to damage file, initiated entry to have area reinspected in about 3000 cycles, and programmed it to have primer and touch-up paint applied. As the day progressed, I grew concerned that I just wasn't sure the damaged area was ok for service. I would like to be trained in how to determine allowable damage on the airbus fleet, and how to properly navigation airbus manuals. If I was in a hangar with more time I would have spent all day researching until I felt satisfied of remedy needed, instead of being rushed at the gate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319 TECHNICIAN DISCOVERING FUSELAGE DAMAGE BELOW THE AFT L SVC DOOR, HAS DIFFICULTY WITH AIRBUS MANUALS IN FINDING ALLOWABLE DAMAGE LIMITS.

Narrative: I FOUND THE AFT L FUSELAGE DAMAGED, JUST BELOW AFT L SVC DOOR AROUND FRAME 68 S28L. DURING MY WALKAROUND OF A THROUGH-FLT REQUIRING A DAILY CHK AT GATE, NO ONE IN MY MAINT 4 GROUP (INCLUDING MYSELF) HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH A DENT OR GOUGE ON AN AIRBUS. WE TRIED TO FUMBLE THROUGH MANUALS. I CONTACTED ENGINEERING FOR ASSISTANCE, BURNISHED THE SHARP EDGES, HAD INSPECTION VERIFY 'NO CRACKS.' ENGINEERING INITIALLY SAID THE AREA WAS OUT OF LIMITS, THEN HE CHANGED HIS MIND, HE NOW SAID IT WAS OK. I WASN'T SURE, BUT MY LEAD SAID IT WOULD BE OK. SO I SIGNED IT OFF AS OK AS IS. I TREATED THE AREA, ADDED IT TO DAMAGE FILE, INITIATED ENTRY TO HAVE AREA REINSPECTED IN ABOUT 3000 CYCLES, AND PROGRAMMED IT TO HAVE PRIMER AND TOUCH-UP PAINT APPLIED. AS THE DAY PROGRESSED, I GREW CONCERNED THAT I JUST WASN'T SURE THE DAMAGED AREA WAS OK FOR SVC. I WOULD LIKE TO BE TRAINED IN HOW TO DETERMINE ALLOWABLE DAMAGE ON THE AIRBUS FLEET, AND HOW TO PROPERLY NAV AIRBUS MANUALS. IF I WAS IN A HANGAR WITH MORE TIME I WOULD HAVE SPENT ALL DAY RESEARCHING UNTIL I FELT SATISFIED OF REMEDY NEEDED, INSTEAD OF BEING RUSHED AT THE GATE.

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.