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A B737-500 aircraft nose radome hole damage was much bigger than what the original write-up indicated and previously signed-off with a tape repair.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 750811 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200708 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-500 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 7000 |
| ASRS Report | 750811 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | other personnel other |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance maintenance problem : improper documentation non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | other |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : briefing performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : logbook entry performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
During preflight; noted write-up on hole in radome and tape repair. On walkaround; found tape missing and hole much bigger and deeper than what write-up indicated. Sent ACARS to maintenance control and contacted contract maintenance. Mechanic also said damage worse than write-up. Maintenance control said engineering would review and get back to us. After a while; the word came that mechanic would just tape again and go. I called maintenance control again and he said engineering was indeed looking at it. Mechanic taped and we departed 2.5 hours late. The on-time departure of this flight was important enough for the crew desk to offer us operational relief. I suspect that the original signoff of this damage was done without a proper inspection. I don't think the size or depth of the hole changed from the time it was found at an up-line station to the time it arrived in ZZZ.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-500 ACFT NOSE RADOME HOLE DAMAGE WAS MUCH BIGGER THAN WHAT THE ORIGINAL WRITE-UP INDICATED AND PREVIOUSLY SIGNED-OFF WITH A TAPE REPAIR.
Narrative: DURING PREFLT; NOTED WRITE-UP ON HOLE IN RADOME AND TAPE REPAIR. ON WALKAROUND; FOUND TAPE MISSING AND HOLE MUCH BIGGER AND DEEPER THAN WHAT WRITE-UP INDICATED. SENT ACARS TO MAINT CTL AND CONTACTED CONTRACT MAINT. MECH ALSO SAID DAMAGE WORSE THAN WRITE-UP. MAINT CTL SAID ENGINEERING WOULD REVIEW AND GET BACK TO US. AFTER A WHILE; THE WORD CAME THAT MECH WOULD JUST TAPE AGAIN AND GO. I CALLED MAINT CTL AGAIN AND HE SAID ENGINEERING WAS INDEED LOOKING AT IT. MECH TAPED AND WE DEPARTED 2.5 HRS LATE. THE ON-TIME DEP OF THIS FLT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH FOR THE CREW DESK TO OFFER US OPERATIONAL RELIEF. I SUSPECT THAT THE ORIGINAL SIGNOFF OF THIS DAMAGE WAS DONE WITHOUT A PROPER INSPECTION. I DON'T THINK THE SIZE OR DEPTH OF THE HOLE CHANGED FROM THE TIME IT WAS FOUND AT AN UP-LINE STATION TO THE TIME IT ARRIVED IN ZZZ.
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.