Aircraft with skin damage is flown without proper maintenance inspection.

Attributes
ACN	92184
Time
Date	198808
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ito
State Reference	HI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9500 flight time type : 180
ASRS Report	92184
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

At the first landing of a 2 leg trip, the aircraft was hit by a baggage cart as it was being pulled up to the aircraft. It was hit several times as the cart bounced off the stringers. There was no mechanic on duty so ramp called one at home. He said the aircraft would be ok if the skin was not punctured. Ramp then looked at aircraft and then notified me, at this point, that the skin had not been punctured. I decided to look myself. The light was poor and it was pouring rain at the time. It appeared to me that the skin was not punctured, but was dented badly--but no worse than I had seen before. Since there appeared to be no punctures and there was no mechanic to sign the maintenance log off, I decided not to write it up until returning to base--we were already late. The return trip was normal. On arrival I requested maintenance to inspect aircraft. They did find 1 small crack which in sunlight and dry skin was visible. The aircraft was removed from service for repair. In retrospect the aircraft should have been written up and left on the ground as the safest course of action. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter said that this incident took place at hilo and that he has heard nothing further about it from anyone.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT WITH SKIN DAMAGE IS FLOWN WITHOUT PROPER MAINTENANCE INSPECTION.

Narrative: AT THE FIRST LNDG OF A 2 LEG TRIP, THE ACFT WAS HIT BY A BAGGAGE CART AS IT WAS BEING PULLED UP TO THE ACFT. IT WAS HIT SEVERAL TIMES AS THE CART BOUNCED OFF THE STRINGERS. THERE WAS NO MECH ON DUTY SO RAMP CALLED ONE AT HOME. HE SAID THE ACFT WOULD BE OK IF THE SKIN WAS NOT PUNCTURED. RAMP THEN LOOKED AT ACFT AND THEN NOTIFIED ME, AT THIS POINT, THAT THE SKIN HAD NOT BEEN PUNCTURED. I DECIDED TO LOOK MYSELF. THE LIGHT WAS POOR AND IT WAS POURING RAIN AT THE TIME. IT APPEARED TO ME THAT THE SKIN WAS NOT PUNCTURED, BUT WAS DENTED BADLY--BUT NO WORSE THAN I HAD SEEN BEFORE. SINCE THERE APPEARED TO BE NO PUNCTURES AND THERE WAS NO MECH TO SIGN THE MAINT LOG OFF, I DECIDED NOT TO WRITE IT UP UNTIL RETURNING TO BASE--WE WERE ALREADY LATE. THE RETURN TRIP WAS NORMAL. ON ARR I REQUESTED MAINT TO INSPECT ACFT. THEY DID FIND 1 SMALL CRACK WHICH IN SUNLIGHT AND DRY SKIN WAS VISIBLE. THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC FOR REPAIR. IN RETROSPECT THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN WRITTEN UP AND LEFT ON THE GND AS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: RPTR SAID THAT THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT HILO AND THAT HE HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER ABOUT IT FROM ANYONE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.