Narrative:

Flight operated in atl for stl and dallas. WX in atl: dark, low 30's, light freezing rain. The aircraft was completely covered with a thick coat of ice. On preflight the taxi skid showed signs of ground contact with the compression indicator in its normal horizontal safety position. I noted this in the log book and contacted our maintenance coordinator in kansas city, being we have no mechanics stationed in atl. He deferred it per our flight handbook procedure. The aircraft was de-iced twice at an off-gate ramp area and we departed for stl. Upon arrival, our maintenance inspected the tail skid area and found structure damage. The flight was cancelled and the aircraft was taken to the hangar for repair. I know off gate ramp de-icing saves time and money, but I believe I would have discovered this damage if it had not been hidden by ice and dirt. The aircraft should have been de-iced at the gate where we could have inspected it after de-icing. Supplemental information from acn 131888: since dereg we have seen fewer and fewer stations staffed by trained company mechanics and this in only but one of many cost-cutting/profit increasing measures which has worked against airline safety!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW FLEW DAMAGED ACFT MLG THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPAIRED BEFORE DEP.

Narrative: FLT OPERATED IN ATL FOR STL AND DALLAS. WX IN ATL: DARK, LOW 30'S, LIGHT FREEZING RAIN. THE ACFT WAS COMPLETELY COVERED WITH A THICK COAT OF ICE. ON PREFLT THE TAXI SKID SHOWED SIGNS OF GND CONTACT WITH THE COMPRESSION INDICATOR IN ITS NORMAL HORIZ SAFETY POS. I NOTED THIS IN THE LOG BOOK AND CONTACTED OUR MAINT COORDINATOR IN KANSAS CITY, BEING WE HAVE NO MECHS STATIONED IN ATL. HE DEFERRED IT PER OUR FLT HANDBOOK PROC. THE ACFT WAS DE-ICED TWICE AT AN OFF-GATE RAMP AREA AND WE DEPARTED FOR STL. UPON ARR, OUR MAINT INSPECTED THE TAIL SKID AREA AND FOUND STRUCTURE DAMAGE. THE FLT WAS CANCELLED AND THE ACFT WAS TAKEN TO THE HANGAR FOR REPAIR. I KNOW OFF GATE RAMP DE-ICING SAVES TIME AND MONEY, BUT I BELIEVE I WOULD HAVE DISCOVERED THIS DAMAGE IF IT HAD NOT BEEN HIDDEN BY ICE AND DIRT. THE ACFT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DE-ICED AT THE GATE WHERE WE COULD HAVE INSPECTED IT AFTER DE-ICING. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 131888: SINCE DEREG WE HAVE SEEN FEWER AND FEWER STATIONS STAFFED BY TRAINED COMPANY MECHS AND THIS IN ONLY BUT ONE OF MANY COST-CUTTING/PROFIT INCREASING MEASURES WHICH HAS WORKED AGAINST AIRLINE SAFETY!

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 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.