Narrative:

Captain on walkaround; noticed an area in the rvsm critical area below the first officer's window that appeared to be dented and the paint was missing. Reported the maintenance item through normal procedures. Regular mechanic showed up at gate and looked at area; sent for a supervisor. Mechanic supervisor and captain (with no regard for his own personal safety) climbed on ladder with mechanic supervisor to inspect area. Both agreed area was compromised and both agreed area had received maintenance attention due to 'tool marks' on the exposed metal and the paint had been sanded down. Mechanic supervisor confirmed that area was out of tolerance for continued operation in rvsm airspace and that there was no prior paperwork on the issue. It was my belief that the work performed could not satisfy the requirement to sign it off as being rvsm capable; so nothing was generated; leaving it up to a pilot to discover the discrepancy. As far as I know the plane had just finished a transcon leg. I know the problem did not occur in ZZZ as we met the plane as it parked at the gate. This aircraft flew an untold amount of legs illegally in rvsm airspace due to poor; dishonest (and low-cost) maintenance. As far as I know the rvsm guidelines are to increase airspace utilization while decreasing separation between really big metal objects traveling really fast. The mechanical criteria for dispatch under these criteria are fairly stringent and it now seems like air carrier is saying if the standards can't be met; lower your standards. Works at XA00 am in a bar when you are in college; but not in a safety based industry like aviation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CAPT REPORTS FUSELAGE DAMAGE IN RVSM CRITICAL AREA DISCOVERED DURING PREFLIGHT. A REPAIR HAD BEEN ATTEMPTED BUT NO LOGBOOK ENTRY HAD BEEN MADE.

Narrative: CAPT ON WALKAROUND; NOTICED AN AREA IN THE RVSM CRITICAL AREA BELOW THE FO'S WINDOW THAT APPEARED TO BE DENTED AND THE PAINT WAS MISSING. RPTED THE MAINT ITEM THROUGH NORMAL PROCS. REGULAR MECH SHOWED UP AT GATE AND LOOKED AT AREA; SENT FOR A SUPVR. MECH SUPVR AND CAPT (WITH NO REGARD FOR HIS OWN PERSONAL SAFETY) CLBED ON LADDER WITH MECH SUPVR TO INSPECT AREA. BOTH AGREED AREA WAS COMPROMISED AND BOTH AGREED AREA HAD RECEIVED MAINT ATTN DUE TO 'TOOL MARKS' ON THE EXPOSED METAL AND THE PAINT HAD BEEN SANDED DOWN. MECH SUPVR CONFIRMED THAT AREA WAS OUT OF TOLERANCE FOR CONTINUED OP IN RVSM AIRSPACE AND THAT THERE WAS NO PRIOR PAPERWORK ON THE ISSUE. IT WAS MY BELIEF THAT THE WORK PERFORMED COULD NOT SATISFY THE REQUIREMENT TO SIGN IT OFF AS BEING RVSM CAPABLE; SO NOTHING WAS GENERATED; LEAVING IT UP TO A PLT TO DISCOVER THE DISCREPANCY. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE PLANE HAD JUST FINISHED A TRANSCON LEG. I KNOW THE PROB DID NOT OCCUR IN ZZZ AS WE MET THE PLANE AS IT PARKED AT THE GATE. THIS ACFT FLEW AN UNTOLD AMOUNT OF LEGS ILLEGALLY IN RVSM AIRSPACE DUE TO POOR; DISHONEST (AND LOW-COST) MAINT. AS FAR AS I KNOW THE RVSM GUIDELINES ARE TO INCREASE AIRSPACE UTILIZATION WHILE DECREASING SEPARATION BTWN REALLY BIG METAL OBJECTS TRAVELING REALLY FAST. THE MECHANICAL CRITERIA FOR DISPATCH UNDER THESE CRITERIA ARE FAIRLY STRINGENT AND IT NOW SEEMS LIKE ACR IS SAYING IF THE STANDARDS CAN'T BE MET; LOWER YOUR STANDARDS. WORKS AT XA00 AM IN A BAR WHEN YOU ARE IN COLLEGE; BUT NOT IN A SAFETY BASED INDUSTRY LIKE AVIATION.

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.