Narrative:

On mar/sun/95 I was sent to an air carrier gate to look at a DC9 cargo door cut out with damage. I talked to the operations controller at lga. She directed me to gate X. I approached the crew who said there was no problem. I requested the logbook. The captain held up the log and said we have no write-ups but would not hand it to me. At that point I said I was leaving if there was no problem. After exiting the jetway a ramp service man called me to the aft cargo door. I observed a 2 inch vertical by 1 inch tear in the aft edge of the cargo door cutout. The metal was bent into the windstream. There were several cracks in the torn skin which appeared to go to the first row of highlocks. The tear was in the fuselage skin. The captain came to the aft cargo door to look at the damage. I contacted the maintenance controller and related the extent of the damage. The controller advised me that the flight would not go, and that company mechanics would be dispatched from ewr to repair the damaged fuselage. I passed by the air carrier company gate X a short time later and the aircraft was gone. I contacted the air carrier company operations controller after discussing the matter with my lead. The air carrier company controller stated that the pilot said it was not that bad and took the plane. At that point we discussed with the foreman. We decided to call air carrier company maintenance control. The controller, mr. X, stated the aircraft was dispatched to cleveland. He said nobody authority/authorized the dispatch because there was no write-up in the logbook. This was after the evaluation I gave. I felt damage needed further attention before flight. I left air carrier company under the direction of the maintenance controller, mr. X, who stated air carrier company mechanics would repair it before flight.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DISPATCHED WITHOUT MAINT RELEASE WITH KNOWN DAMAGE TO CARGO DOOR, DOOR FRAME AND FUSELAGE SKIN.

Narrative: ON MAR/SUN/95 I WAS SENT TO AN ACR GATE TO LOOK AT A DC9 CARGO DOOR CUT OUT WITH DAMAGE. I TALKED TO THE OPS CTLR AT LGA. SHE DIRECTED ME TO GATE X. I APCHED THE CREW WHO SAID THERE WAS NO PROB. I REQUESTED THE LOGBOOK. THE CAPT HELD UP THE LOG AND SAID WE HAVE NO WRITE-UPS BUT WOULD NOT HAND IT TO ME. AT THAT POINT I SAID I WAS LEAVING IF THERE WAS NO PROB. AFTER EXITING THE JETWAY A RAMP SVC MAN CALLED ME TO THE AFT CARGO DOOR. I OBSERVED A 2 INCH VERT BY 1 INCH TEAR IN THE AFT EDGE OF THE CARGO DOOR CUTOUT. THE METAL WAS BENT INTO THE WINDSTREAM. THERE WERE SEVERAL CRACKS IN THE TORN SKIN WHICH APPEARED TO GO TO THE FIRST ROW OF HIGHLOCKS. THE TEAR WAS IN THE FUSELAGE SKIN. THE CAPT CAME TO THE AFT CARGO DOOR TO LOOK AT THE DAMAGE. I CONTACTED THE MAINT CTLR AND RELATED THE EXTENT OF THE DAMAGE. THE CTLR ADVISED ME THAT THE FLT WOULD NOT GO, AND THAT COMPANY MECHS WOULD BE DISPATCHED FROM EWR TO REPAIR THE DAMAGED FUSELAGE. I PASSED BY THE ACR COMPANY GATE X A SHORT TIME LATER AND THE ACFT WAS GONE. I CONTACTED THE ACR COMPANY OPS CTLR AFTER DISCUSSING THE MATTER WITH MY LEAD. THE ACR COMPANY CTLR STATED THAT THE PLT SAID IT WAS NOT THAT BAD AND TOOK THE PLANE. AT THAT POINT WE DISCUSSED WITH THE FOREMAN. WE DECIDED TO CALL ACR COMPANY MAINT CTL. THE CTLR, MR. X, STATED THE ACFT WAS DISPATCHED TO CLEVELAND. HE SAID NOBODY AUTH THE DISPATCH BECAUSE THERE WAS NO WRITE-UP IN THE LOGBOOK. THIS WAS AFTER THE EVALUATION I GAVE. I FELT DAMAGE NEEDED FURTHER ATTN BEFORE FLT. I LEFT ACR COMPANY UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE MAINT CTLR, MR. X, WHO STATED ACR COMPANY MECHS WOULD REPAIR IT BEFORE FLT.

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.