TIMING of use of dent and buckle chart.

[9 points]

Something rather unexpected is going on.
I've always believed that the dent and buckle chart should be referred to only after sighting a problem during the exterior inspection. If you look at the chart before the walk around you risk focusing on the known damage and possibly missing something new, you also waste potentially quite a lot of time.
Now, in my present airline, it is being taught that we should always check it before the walk around and verify it during the walk around.
Where does this come from?
Could this be an engineers perspective?
Could this be some European approach?
Thanks.

[Banana Joe]

That would take a really long time on some of our aircraft and there's no way I can remember all the spots. Nor am I going to take a picture of the chart with my phone and look at it during the walk around.

[FlyingStone]

Originally Posted by 9 points

Now, in my present airline, it is being taught that we should always check it before the walk around and verify it during the walk around.
Where does this come from?
Could this be an engineers perspective?

This would probably only work on fresh-from-factory aircraft. Dent and buckle chart of a 20+ year old aircraft normally has more entries than Wikipedia. Good luck checking and remembering every single item prior walkaround.

[Mr @ Spotty M]

You need to go and ask the following question to your Chief Pilot how do you check a dent on the crown skin.

[Webby737]

You would never be able to double check all items in the D & B on anything but an almost new aircraft.
You would be better off checking the areas that are most likely to get damaged during flight or a turnaround, that is around the pax/service doors, cargo doors, engine air intakes and fan blades etc.
Most new damage should be fairly easy to spot, look for anywhere you can see bare skin or primer, any damage to the fan blades that have not been blended or any distorted fan blades (normally with bits of bird smeared over them )

[cashash]

Originally Posted by 9 points

Now, in my present airline, it is being taught that we should always check it before the walk around and verify it during the walk around.
Where does this come from?
Could this be an engineers perspective?

Be a strange Engineer if it was. I used to meet an aircraft and do the walkround while the pax got off and then if I saw any what looked like recent damage I would then consult the D&B chart to see if it had previously been written up when I finally made it to the flight deck.

[sonicbum]

Agree with all the above. Our procedures are to "check if any dents observed on the aircraft structure are listed in the DBC" so basically it is up to you how you do it.

[ballpoint]

Some clarification from a licensed engineer:
A walkaround is in maintenance terminology defined as a “GVI” which stands for General Visual Inspection.
To be performed from ground level from an arm lenghts distance. No stairs required.
A GVI is seen as sufficient to detect obvious discrepancies.

My company uses transparent flagnote stickers te be placed near a dent. Each sticker has a unique reference number, corresponding with the B&D card.
A dent without sticker is considered a new dent which needs assessment before flight.

Hope this helps.