Narrative:

After the aircraft arrived at the gate at new orleans, I, the first officer did an exterior walkaround but missed FOD damage to the left engine when a hose clamp was apparently kicked up by the main gear and hit the exterior cowling. Putting a small hole, 1/4 inch diameter, and attaching to the cowling. There had been a report of smoke coming from 1 of the engines on shutdown so I inspected both engines for leaks fore and aft, in the pylon area. But even though both engines were inspected by me, the FOD was missed. Maintenance was notified about the smoke and they advised me they would open the cowling and take a look. An FAA inspector was on hand and had also seen the smoke. It was after my preflight inspection that the damage was found although it was not associated with the smoke at shutdown. The aircraft was then turned over to maintenance to fix the hole in the cowling. The problem occurred due to FOD on runway or taxiway and I failed to detect it on my exterior preflight. To prevent a similar occurrence, maybe taking a little more time although there is no requirement to look at every square inch of the aircraft and items can be missed. Critical areas such as gear, engines, doors, etc will certainly get more of my attention although they have always been considered to be important.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FOREIGN OBJECT DAMAGE TO ENG COWLING ON MLG NOTED AFTER FO HAD COMPLETED A WALKAROUND.

Narrative: AFTER THE ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE AT NEW ORLEANS, I, THE FO DID AN EXTERIOR WALKAROUND BUT MISSED FOD DAMAGE TO THE L ENG WHEN A HOSE CLAMP WAS APPARENTLY KICKED UP BY THE MAIN GEAR AND HIT THE EXTERIOR COWLING. PUTTING A SMALL HOLE, 1/4 INCH DIAMETER, AND ATTACHING TO THE COWLING. THERE HAD BEEN A RPT OF SMOKE COMING FROM 1 OF THE ENGS ON SHUTDOWN SO I INSPECTED BOTH ENGS FOR LEAKS FORE AND AFT, IN THE PYLON AREA. BUT EVEN THOUGH BOTH ENGS WERE INSPECTED BY ME, THE FOD WAS MISSED. MAINT WAS NOTIFIED ABOUT THE SMOKE AND THEY ADVISED ME THEY WOULD OPEN THE COWLING AND TAKE A LOOK. AN FAA INSPECTOR WAS ON HAND AND HAD ALSO SEEN THE SMOKE. IT WAS AFTER MY PREFLT INSPECTION THAT THE DAMAGE WAS FOUND ALTHOUGH IT WAS NOT ASSOCIATED WITH THE SMOKE AT SHUTDOWN. THE ACFT WAS THEN TURNED OVER TO MAINT TO FIX THE HOLE IN THE COWLING. THE PROBLEM OCCURRED DUE TO FOD ON RWY OR TAXIWAY AND I FAILED TO DETECT IT ON MY EXTERIOR PREFLT. TO PREVENT A SIMILAR OCCURRENCE, MAYBE TAKING A LITTLE MORE TIME ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO REQUIREMENT TO LOOK AT EVERY SQUARE INCH OF THE ACFT AND ITEMS CAN BE MISSED. CRITICAL AREAS SUCH AS GEAR, ENGS, DOORS, ETC WILL CERTAINLY GET MORE OF MY ATTN ALTHOUGH THEY HAVE ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED TO BE IMPORTANT.

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.