Narrative:

We arrived late in mem due to a departure delay in jan. Maintenance asked that we leave the right engine running so they could perform an engine run for an lci inspection. They took the aircraft over to perform the inspection. After the aircraft returned to the gate, I returned to the aircraft and remained on board while maintenance finished the inspection. I requested my first officer to look around the aircraft after maintenance completed their inspection. My first officer returned and replied that everything looked ok on the outside. As we taxied out for departure, the F/a called us on the interphone and reported that the propeller gearbox oil cap appeared loose. I could strain to see the cover and indeed it was off and the cap was loose. We returned to the gate. When I questioned my first officer, he again stated that he thought that it was secure when he checked it. We later found the plexiglas cover in the bird catchers in the intake. I do believe that the oil cap was not off when we departed the gate because several rated pilots stated that when they boarded the aircraft they did not notice anything unusual. It is normal for the plexiglas cover to be missing. I do think that my first officer could have looked closer walking around the aircraft, but it is not published company policy to perform another full preflight after maintenance. Maintenance should have secured the aircraft and intakes are not the appropriate shelf for tools or parts. Supplemental information from acn 177785: maintenance removed the propeller gearbox oil cover and set it in the intake. Maintenance and the pilots both missed the fact that the cover was not reinstalled and the aircraft was boarded. A passenger noticed the propeller oil cap hanging by its chain. Maintenance should not put anything in the engine intake and maintenance and pilots should not be rushed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER LTT STARTED TO TAXI WITH PROPELLER OIL GEAR BOX CAP LOOSE. PASSENGERS SAW THE PROBLEM AND CABIN ATTENDANT NOTIFIED THE CAPT.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED LATE IN MEM DUE TO A DEP DELAY IN JAN. MAINT ASKED THAT WE LEAVE THE RIGHT ENG RUNNING SO THEY COULD PERFORM AN ENG RUN FOR AN LCI INSPECTION. THEY TOOK THE ACFT OVER TO PERFORM THE INSPECTION. AFTER THE ACFT RETURNED TO THE GATE, I RETURNED TO THE ACFT AND REMAINED ON BOARD WHILE MAINT FINISHED THE INSPECTION. I REQUESTED MY F/O TO LOOK AROUND THE ACFT AFTER MAINT COMPLETED THEIR INSPECTION. MY F/O RETURNED AND REPLIED THAT EVERYTHING LOOKED OK ON THE OUTSIDE. AS WE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP, THE F/A CALLED US ON THE INTERPHONE AND RPTED THAT THE PROP GEARBOX OIL CAP APPEARED LOOSE. I COULD STRAIN TO SEE THE COVER AND INDEED IT WAS OFF AND THE CAP WAS LOOSE. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. WHEN I QUESTIONED MY F/O, HE AGAIN STATED THAT HE THOUGHT THAT IT WAS SECURE WHEN HE CHKED IT. WE LATER FOUND THE PLEXIGLAS COVER IN THE BIRD CATCHERS IN THE INTAKE. I DO BELIEVE THAT THE OIL CAP WAS NOT OFF WHEN WE DEPARTED THE GATE BECAUSE SEVERAL RATED PLTS STATED THAT WHEN THEY BOARDED THE ACFT THEY DID NOT NOTICE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. IT IS NORMAL FOR THE PLEXIGLAS COVER TO BE MISSING. I DO THINK THAT MY F/O COULD HAVE LOOKED CLOSER WALKING AROUND THE ACFT, BUT IT IS NOT PUBLISHED COMPANY POLICY TO PERFORM ANOTHER FULL PREFLT AFTER MAINT. MAINT SHOULD HAVE SECURED THE ACFT AND INTAKES ARE NOT THE APPROPRIATE SHELF FOR TOOLS OR PARTS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 177785: MAINT REMOVED THE PROP GEARBOX OIL COVER AND SET IT IN THE INTAKE. MAINT AND THE PLTS BOTH MISSED THE FACT THAT THE COVER WAS NOT REINSTALLED AND THE ACFT WAS BOARDED. A PAX NOTICED THE PROP OIL CAP HANGING BY ITS CHAIN. MAINT SHOULD NOT PUT ANYTHING IN THE ENG INTAKE AND MAINT AND PLTS SHOULD NOT BE RUSHED.

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.