 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
An airbus 300 was dispatched and operated in non-compliance with unapproved repairs made to the cargo compartment composite liners.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 460994 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200001 |
| Day | Mon |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | A300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : maintenance ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : airframe technician : powerplant |
| Experience | maintenance technician : 10 |
| ASRS Report | 460994 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : airframe technician : powerplant |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : installation performance deficiency : repair |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
| Situations | |
| Publication | Structural Repair Manual |
Narrative:
Virtually the entire airbus fleet has illegal cargo sidewall repairs. Per air carrier repair document, damage to the composite structure must be filled in with fire retardant filler material. Most airbuses have speed patches installed without repairing the composite sandwich. I found such a repair on xyz on jan/xa/00. I believe all the speed patches installed don't have the proper repair beneath the surface. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated the airbus 300 fleet cargo compartment composite liners are not being repaired per the air carrier supplement to the structural repair manual. The reporter said the tear or hole in the 0.250 inch thick composite requires a fire retardant filler material to cover the damaged area and then a 'quick stick' patch over the fire retardant filler material. The reporter said this is not being done consistently due to schedule pressure and a repair is made using only the 'quick stick' 0.090 inch thick fiberglass patch. The reporter stated a fiberglass repair is only permitted on other aircraft with thin wall cargo compartment liners.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: AN AIRBUS 300 WAS DISPATCHED AND OPERATED IN NON-COMPLIANCE WITH UNAPPROVED REPAIRS MADE TO THE CARGO COMPARTMENT COMPOSITE LINERS.
Narrative: VIRTUALLY THE ENTIRE AIRBUS FLEET HAS ILLEGAL CARGO SIDEWALL REPAIRS. PER ACR REPAIR DOCUMENT, DAMAGE TO THE COMPOSITE STRUCTURE MUST BE FILLED IN WITH FIRE RETARDANT FILLER MATERIAL. MOST AIRBUSES HAVE SPD PATCHES INSTALLED WITHOUT REPAIRING THE COMPOSITE SANDWICH. I FOUND SUCH A REPAIR ON XYZ ON JAN/XA/00. I BELIEVE ALL THE SPD PATCHES INSTALLED DON'T HAVE THE PROPER REPAIR BENEATH THE SURFACE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE AIRBUS 300 FLEET CARGO COMPARTMENT COMPOSITE LINERS ARE NOT BEING REPAIRED PER THE ACR SUPPLEMENT TO THE STRUCTURAL REPAIR MANUAL. THE RPTR SAID THE TEAR OR HOLE IN THE 0.250 INCH THICK COMPOSITE REQUIRES A FIRE RETARDANT FILLER MATERIAL TO COVER THE DAMAGED AREA AND THEN A 'QUICK STICK' PATCH OVER THE FIRE RETARDANT FILLER MATERIAL. THE RPTR SAID THIS IS NOT BEING DONE CONSISTENTLY DUE TO SCHEDULE PRESSURE AND A REPAIR IS MADE USING ONLY THE 'QUICK STICK' 0.090 INCH THICK FIBERGLASS PATCH. THE RPTR STATED A FIBERGLASS REPAIR IS ONLY PERMITTED ON OTHER ACFT WITH THIN WALL CARGO COMPARTMENT LINERS.
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.