Narrative:

Aircraft was damaged by push tug during pushback when towbar broke. Tug became lodged under aircraft adjacent to nose landing gear on left hand side of aircraft. Approximately 4 ft scrape and dent. Damage was beyond srm limits for revenue flight. Decision made to maintenance ferry this aircraft for repair at a base after consulting line engineering. Line engineer on site consulted with chief line engineer and determined temporary doubler to be installed. Doubler installed by company mechanics at the direction of on-site line engineer. After installation of temporary repair, the engineer advised that the aircraft was in a safe condition for a ferry flight. A fellow controller arranged the flight and received approval from the dispatch manager. Additional precautions taken: engineering flight test pilot crew only, gear down, and unpressurized. Total duration of flight would be less than 45 mins due to maintenance base very close to airport where damage occurred. At the end of my shift I was informed that some inspectors were questioning whether they should be involved in the interim repair process and were currently discussing this with the controller and the maintenance control shift manager. When I returned for my next shift the aircraft had still not been ferried. The previous controllers on shift were new to the position and unable to issue ferry permits. I was asked to issue the permit. The aircraft had sat for 18 hours. I asked what the status of inspection was and was told it was ready to ferry and that it had been determined during the day that inspection was not required and this was agreed upon with the chief inspector. I looked at all the paperwork, which was complete, and noted that the temporary doubler installation was documented with the line engineer's name. I issued the ferry permit. The aircraft ferried uneventfully for repair and inspection is involved in the final repair. Some inspectors still questioning why they were not involved initially and believe they should be -- when asked what criteria they would inspect an interim repair by -- they couldn't answer.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS 319 INCURRED SKIN DAMAGE L SIDE OF NOSE LNDG GEAR. INTERIM REPAIR MADE PER ON SITE ENGINEER. INSPECTORS INSISTED INTERIM REPAIR REQUIRED INSPECTION PRIOR TO MAINT FERRY.

Narrative: ACFT WAS DAMAGED BY PUSH TUG DURING PUSHBACK WHEN TOWBAR BROKE. TUG BECAME LODGED UNDER ACFT ADJACENT TO NOSE LNDG GEAR ON L HAND SIDE OF ACFT. APPROX 4 FT SCRAPE AND DENT. DAMAGE WAS BEYOND SRM LIMITS FOR REVENUE FLT. DECISION MADE TO MAINT FERRY THIS ACFT FOR REPAIR AT A BASE AFTER CONSULTING LINE ENGINEERING. LINE ENGINEER ON SITE CONSULTED WITH CHIEF LINE ENGINEER AND DETERMINED TEMPORARY DOUBLER TO BE INSTALLED. DOUBLER INSTALLED BY COMPANY MECHS AT THE DIRECTION OF ON-SITE LINE ENGINEER. AFTER INSTALLATION OF TEMPORARY REPAIR, THE ENGINEER ADVISED THAT THE ACFT WAS IN A SAFE CONDITION FOR A FERRY FLT. A FELLOW CTLR ARRANGED THE FLT AND RECEIVED APPROVAL FROM THE DISPATCH MGR. ADDITIONAL PRECAUTIONS TAKEN: ENGINEERING FLT TEST PLT CREW ONLY, GEAR DOWN, AND UNPRESSURIZED. TOTAL DURATION OF FLT WOULD BE LESS THAN 45 MINS DUE TO MAINT BASE VERY CLOSE TO ARPT WHERE DAMAGE OCCURRED. AT THE END OF MY SHIFT I WAS INFORMED THAT SOME INSPECTORS WERE QUESTIONING WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE INTERIM REPAIR PROCESS AND WERE CURRENTLY DISCUSSING THIS WITH THE CTLR AND THE MAINT CTL SHIFT MGR. WHEN I RETURNED FOR MY NEXT SHIFT THE ACFT HAD STILL NOT BEEN FERRIED. THE PREVIOUS CTLRS ON SHIFT WERE NEW TO THE POS AND UNABLE TO ISSUE FERRY PERMITS. I WAS ASKED TO ISSUE THE PERMIT. THE ACFT HAD SAT FOR 18 HRS. I ASKED WHAT THE STATUS OF INSPECTION WAS AND WAS TOLD IT WAS READY TO FERRY AND THAT IT HAD BEEN DETERMINED DURING THE DAY THAT INSPECTION WAS NOT REQUIRED AND THIS WAS AGREED UPON WITH THE CHIEF INSPECTOR. I LOOKED AT ALL THE PAPERWORK, WHICH WAS COMPLETE, AND NOTED THAT THE TEMPORARY DOUBLER INSTALLATION WAS DOCUMENTED WITH THE LINE ENGINEER'S NAME. I ISSUED THE FERRY PERMIT. THE ACFT FERRIED UNEVENTFULLY FOR REPAIR AND INSPECTION IS INVOLVED IN THE FINAL REPAIR. SOME INSPECTORS STILL QUESTIONING WHY THEY WERE NOT INVOLVED INITIALLY AND BELIEVE THEY SHOULD BE -- WHEN ASKED WHAT CRITERIA THEY WOULD INSPECT AN INTERIM REPAIR BY -- THEY COULDN'T ANSWER.

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.