including repairs to the chipped nose cone of a Boeing 737

After conducting additional research, the FAA inspector concluded that repairs were necessary, and said Delta had wrongly flown the plane twenty times in the days following the discovery of the destroy.
The FAA has proposed to fine Delta $687,500 for the alleged infraction of FAA rules.
The FAA is also proposing a $300,000 fine against Delta for operating an Airbus A320 on 884 flights in 2010 and 2011 after it allegedly deferred repair of a broken cockpit floodlight socket. Maintenance procedures permit of the dome lights in the assembly to be inoperative for no over ten days, but the airline flew the plane for seven months with the broken equipment, the FAA said.

In the case of the 737, an FAA inspector noticed the chips in the work of a pre-flight inspection of the aircraft in February 2010, and brought it to the attention of the plane's captain. The chips -- in the radome, which houses weather radar and navigational equipment -- were deep to show the underlying fiberglass, the FAA said.
When the captain notified the airline's maintenance middle in Atlanta, maintenance officials told the FAA inspector the destroy was acceptable and no more maintenance was necessary.

Delta issued a statement Wednesday saying, "The safety & security of our customers & crew is Delta's highest core value. At no time was either of these aircraft operating in an hazardous manner. One time Delta verified the concerns of the FAA, Delta initiated immediate & necessary actions to be definite that the aircraft were in full compliance with the regulatory requirements."