Type of Damage
Type of Damage
Dent: A Dent is depressed or hollow deformations without removal of material or change in cross sectional
area (see scratch & crack definition below). Stress wrinkles caused by failure of a fastener are not
considered a dent. Generally dents are caused by impact from a smoothly contoured object. One
characteristic that all dents should have is a "pushed in surface" and a relatively smooth bottom where
metal is not displaced, folded or creased. Many Aircraft Structural Repair Manuals specify that a "crease"
be treated as a crack. Generally when evaluating dents, the width of the dent is the second longest distance
across the dent, measured at 90 degrees to the direction of the length.
Nicks: Broken edges without cracks, but with portions of material removed. Negligible damage limits will
vary with structure, material, and loading.
Scratches: Marks penetrating the surface that reduce the structural cross section of the material but do not
penetrate the complete thickness. The depth of a scratch may be determined by use of an optical
micrometer. Generally, scratches in Alclad aluminum alloy sheet that do not penetrate the protective
Alclad layer are classified as negligible.
Cracks: Fractures that would not separate the material into two parts if the surrounding supports were
removed; usually originating at edges, holes, or points where concentrated loads are applied or where abrupt
changes in cross-sectional area occur. Cracks cause a significant cross-sectional area change. This damage
usually has an irregular line and is often the result of fatigue in the material. The length of cracks that may
be tolerated varies widely with material, structure, and application. No crack should be regarded as
negligible until the damage limits for the affected structure have been determined.
Holes: Punctures, penetrations or cutouts that breach the complete thickness of the material and is fully
surrounded by undamaged material.The size, shape, and distance from edges and supporting structures must
be considered when evaluating hole damage.
Abrasion: A damaged area that is the result of scuffing, rubbing, scraping, or other surface erosion. This
type of damage is usually rough and has an irregular shape.
Gouge: A damaged area where the result is a cross-sectional change caused by a sharp object and gives a
continuous, sharp or smooth groove in the material
Delamination: Separation of the layers of material in a laminate, either local or covering a wide area, that
occurs during manufacturing or in service. Fiber-reinforced and composites may delaminate when impacted
and not exhibit visible damage.
Disbonds: An area within a bonded interface between two adherents in which an adhesion failure or
separation has occurred. If the separation is performed deliberately to referred to as a debond.