Narrative:

Following an early morning return to cle from south bend, in, we were given a last minute aircraft swap for our next trip leg to dtw. Acting as first officer, I completed a preflight inspection of the aircraft, covering all items listed in the aircraft manual for preflight. Upon arriving at dtw airport, the crew entered the terminal area during the 50 min break before a return to cle. When I returned to the aircraft 20 mins before scheduled departure back to cle, a mechanic approached me at the aircraft, holding a drill, and stated that an FAA man had inspected our aircraft while we were inside. He found, according to the mechanic, 2 aircraft mechanical discrepancies. A plastic cover over 1 of the aircraft's ice inspection lights had several small cracks. The light worked, it was a day flight, and there were not icing conditions that day, but it was an item I did not notice on the preflight. The mechanic stop-drilled those cracks. The other item noticed the the FAA was a hydraulic leak under the right wing of our light transport. I stress that the crew was not notified or confronted directly by the FAA rep at any time re: these items. Our only knowledge of the incident was word through the mechanic, even after an attempt by the captain to locate the FAA agent. At any rate, outside the right engine nacelle under the wing is a hydraulic overflow opening. It is a normal function of that drain to leak some fluid, especially after the parking brake has been applied, as fluid is moved from one reservoir to another and frequently overfills slightly. Given that knowledge and our inability to locate the inspector, we left for cle with the ice light inspection cover problem corrected and our hydraulic system functioning normally. We were distressed that we were not able to speak with the inspector and were concerned that we departed with an aircraft he considered unairworthy. This was certainly not the case!

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FAA ACI RAMP CHECK REVEALS SOME MINOR ACFT EQUIPMENT PROBLEMS.

Narrative: FOLLOWING AN EARLY MORNING RETURN TO CLE FROM S BEND, IN, WE WERE GIVEN A LAST MINUTE ACFT SWAP FOR OUR NEXT TRIP LEG TO DTW. ACTING AS F/O, I COMPLETED A PREFLT INSPECTION OF THE ACFT, COVERING ALL ITEMS LISTED IN THE ACFT MANUAL FOR PREFLT. UPON ARRIVING AT DTW ARPT, THE CREW ENTERED THE TERMINAL AREA DURING THE 50 MIN BREAK BEFORE A RETURN TO CLE. WHEN I RETURNED TO THE ACFT 20 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP BACK TO CLE, A MECH APCHED ME AT THE ACFT, HOLDING A DRILL, AND STATED THAT AN FAA MAN HAD INSPECTED OUR ACFT WHILE WE WERE INSIDE. HE FOUND, ACCORDING TO THE MECH, 2 ACFT MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. A PLASTIC COVER OVER 1 OF THE ACFT'S ICE INSPECTION LIGHTS HAD SEVERAL SMALL CRACKS. THE LIGHT WORKED, IT WAS A DAY FLT, AND THERE WERE NOT ICING CONDITIONS THAT DAY, BUT IT WAS AN ITEM I DID NOT NOTICE ON THE PREFLT. THE MECH STOP-DRILLED THOSE CRACKS. THE OTHER ITEM NOTICED THE THE FAA WAS A HYD LEAK UNDER THE RIGHT WING OF OUR LTT. I STRESS THAT THE CREW WAS NOT NOTIFIED OR CONFRONTED DIRECTLY BY THE FAA REP AT ANY TIME RE: THESE ITEMS. OUR ONLY KNOWLEDGE OF THE INCIDENT WAS WORD THROUGH THE MECH, EVEN AFTER AN ATTEMPT BY THE CAPT TO LOCATE THE FAA AGENT. AT ANY RATE, OUTSIDE THE RIGHT ENG NACELLE UNDER THE WING IS A HYD OVERFLOW OPENING. IT IS A NORMAL FUNCTION OF THAT DRAIN TO LEAK SOME FLUID, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE PARKING BRAKE HAS BEEN APPLIED, AS FLUID IS MOVED FROM ONE RESERVOIR TO ANOTHER AND FREQUENTLY OVERFILLS SLIGHTLY. GIVEN THAT KNOWLEDGE AND OUR INABILITY TO LOCATE THE INSPECTOR, WE LEFT FOR CLE WITH THE ICE LIGHT INSPECTION COVER PROB CORRECTED AND OUR HYD SYS FUNCTIONING NORMALLY. WE WERE DISTRESSED THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SPEAK WITH THE INSPECTOR AND WERE CONCERNED THAT WE DEPARTED WITH AN ACFT HE CONSIDERED UNAIRWORTHY. THIS WAS CERTAINLY NOT THE CASE!

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.