First officer reporter an aci found duct tape covering a pitot static port during inspection at ewr.

Attributes
ACN	186144
Time
Date	199107
Day	Sat
Place
Locale Reference	airport : ewr
State Reference	NJ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 275 flight time total : 4780 flight time type : 1250
ASRS Report	186155
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	observation : air carrier inspector
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

In lieu of the FAA inspection of company airlines aircraft XXX in newark, nj, on jul/sat/91, I am filing this NASA report. The FAA inspector found a small piece of duct tape covering a static port on the aircraft. My crew had flown the aircraft for 5 legs (lga-cmh-ewr-pwm-ewr-dtw) on jul/fri/91. The captain and I alternated walking around the aircraft. Neither of us found anything irregular with the aircraft. I am very attentive, as I am sure the captain is, with checking all static ports for obstructions as there was a recent incident where an medium large transport had cellophane tape covering the static ports causing the crew to divert because of unreliable airspeed indicators. The tape could have been placed by maintenance in dtw where the aircraft remained overnight jul/fri/91 so that the aircraft could be washed without water getting into the static ports. However, because this crew did not fly this particular aircraft the next morning, I cannot confirm this. To remedy this from happening (i.e., maintenance taping over static ports) I recommend the checking of static ports for obstructions to be a maintenance checklist item if not already so.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FO RPTR AN ACI FOUND DUCT TAPE COVERING A PITOT STATIC PORT DURING INSPECTION AT EWR.

Narrative: IN LIEU OF THE FAA INSPECTION OF COMPANY AIRLINES ACFT XXX IN NEWARK, NJ, ON JUL/SAT/91, I AM FILING THIS NASA RPT. THE FAA INSPECTOR FOUND A SMALL PIECE OF DUCT TAPE COVERING A STATIC PORT ON THE ACFT. MY CREW HAD FLOWN THE ACFT FOR 5 LEGS (LGA-CMH-EWR-PWM-EWR-DTW) ON JUL/FRI/91. THE CAPT AND I ALTERNATED WALKING AROUND THE ACFT. NEITHER OF US FOUND ANYTHING IRREGULAR WITH THE ACFT. I AM VERY ATTENTIVE, AS I AM SURE THE CAPT IS, WITH CHKING ALL STATIC PORTS FOR OBSTRUCTIONS AS THERE WAS A RECENT INCIDENT WHERE AN MLG HAD CELLOPHANE TAPE COVERING THE STATIC PORTS CAUSING THE CREW TO DIVERT BECAUSE OF UNRELIABLE AIRSPD INDICATORS. THE TAPE COULD HAVE BEEN PLACED BY MAINT IN DTW WHERE THE ACFT REMAINED OVERNIGHT JUL/FRI/91 SO THAT THE ACFT COULD BE WASHED WITHOUT WATER GETTING INTO THE STATIC PORTS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE THIS CREW DID NOT FLY THIS PARTICULAR ACFT THE NEXT MORNING, I CANNOT CONFIRM THIS. TO REMEDY THIS FROM HAPPENING (I.E., MAINT TAPING OVER STATIC PORTS) I RECOMMEND THE CHKING OF STATIC PORTS FOR OBSTRUCTIONS TO BE A MAINT CHKLIST ITEM IF NOT ALREADY SO.

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.