Narrative:

A dent was found in the aircraft skin in a rvsm area. While attempting to resolve the issue; using the srm; there was confusion due to the unclr maintenance instructions. The aircraft was inspected under direction of maintenance management; maintenance control and engineering department. Engineering department specified how to inspect dent and to establish an engineering deferral. A few days later; while doing the on-line training for DC9 rvsm; I discovered that the procedures found there appeared to be different from those in the srm. Maintenance management and maintenance control were notified of my concerns. Later union air standards representative was notified. Aircraft was then re-inspected. Concerns: 1) discrepancy that exists between on-line training and aircraft manuals. 2) lack of clear instructions on procedures for dents in rvsm area in aircraft srm. Solutions: 1) creation of a specific checklist type paperwork for rvsm area dents. 2) srm corrected for clarity. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the repair for the dent became confusing with the differences between the on-line training and the srm and the maintenance manual. The dent was not repaired but was deferred per engineering authority/authorized which limits the airplane to less than FL290. This was to allow time to correct and standardize the repair procedures. No consideration was given on the replacement of the static port heating plates which is not being considered in chapter 20 anti-ice. Callback conversation with reporter acn 651755 revealed the following information: the manuals and the training program material are now seeing intensive action to bring the information together and standardize the repair procedure.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-30 INCURRED A DENT IN THE ACFT STATIC PORT AREA (CRITICAL RVSM AREA) DUE TO CONFLICT WITH CLASS 1 REPAIR DOCUMENTS DENT WAS DEFERRED PER ENGINEERING.

Narrative: A DENT WAS FOUND IN THE ACFT SKIN IN A RVSM AREA. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESOLVE THE ISSUE; USING THE SRM; THERE WAS CONFUSION DUE TO THE UNCLR MAINT INSTRUCTIONS. THE ACFT WAS INSPECTED UNDER DIRECTION OF MAINT MGMNT; MAINT CTL AND ENGINEERING DEPT. ENGINEERING DEPT SPECIFIED HOW TO INSPECT DENT AND TO ESTABLISH AN ENGINEERING DEFERRAL. A FEW DAYS LATER; WHILE DOING THE ON-LINE TRAINING FOR DC9 RVSM; I DISCOVERED THAT THE PROCS FOUND THERE APPEARED TO BE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE IN THE SRM. MAINT MGMNT AND MAINT CTL WERE NOTIFIED OF MY CONCERNS. LATER UNION AIR STANDARDS REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOTIFIED. ACFT WAS THEN RE-INSPECTED. CONCERNS: 1) DISCREPANCY THAT EXISTS BTWN ON-LINE TRAINING AND ACFT MANUALS. 2) LACK OF CLR INSTRUCTIONS ON PROCS FOR DENTS IN RVSM AREA IN ACFT SRM. SOLUTIONS: 1) CREATION OF A SPECIFIC CHKLIST TYPE PAPERWORK FOR RVSM AREA DENTS. 2) SRM CORRECTED FOR CLARITY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE REPAIR FOR THE DENT BECAME CONFUSING WITH THE DIFFERENCES BTWN THE ON-LINE TRAINING AND THE SRM AND THE MAINT MANUAL. THE DENT WAS NOT REPAIRED BUT WAS DEFERRED PER ENGINEERING AUTH WHICH LIMITS THE AIRPLANE TO LESS THAN FL290. THIS WAS TO ALLOW TIME TO CORRECT AND STANDARDIZE THE REPAIR PROCS. NO CONSIDERATION WAS GIVEN ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE STATIC PORT HEATING PLATES WHICH IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED IN CHAPTER 20 ANTI-ICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 651755 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE MANUALS AND THE TRAINING PROGRAM MATERIAL ARE NOW SEEING INTENSIVE ACTION TO BRING THE INFO TOGETHER AND STANDARDIZE THE REPAIR PROC.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.