Narrative:

I was operating as PIC with a current and qualified captain as my first officer. For this leg of the trip I occupied the right seat of the aircraft. Prior to starting engines, the crew noted a large white tent on the ramp (approximately 20 X 8 X 15) situated parallel to the taxiway and between where we were parked and the taxiway. We taxied out and selected flaps 25. As we approached the taxiway, I cleared us right observing clearance of the tent and no traffic on either taxiway or runway. After taxiing approximately 100 yards we were told by unicom to stop the aircraft, that our maintenance personnel wanted to inspect the aircraft, and something else we did not understand, that we had struck a sign of some sort. At no time prior to this message did any crew member have any indication that we had struck anything. After setting the parking brake, the engineer went down the aft airstairs to inspect the aircraft for damage. Upon his return, he informed us that he discovered fresh paint on the #7 slat and a small 'ding' on the #8 slat. We discussed actions to be taken and decided to wait for maintenance to inspect the aircraft. Our mechanic arrived with his assistant in a very short period of time accompanied by numerous airport personnel. I opened my window and watched as he inspected the leading edge devices, under portion of the wing and trailing edge flaps. He asked us to cycle the flaps full up to full down which we did. He then approached the front of the aircraft and gave me a thumbs up signal and waved us on. I shouted at him inquiring our status. He shouted back that he saw no problems and we could continue. Based on the fact that the flaps and slats cycled normally and the mechanic cleared us to go, I saw no reason not to continue. Upon arrival in new york, contract maintenance personnel boarded the aircraft and criticized us for operating the aircraft. He said the slats would have to be replaced. His inspection of the aircraft was at night as opposed to daylight in ponce and with the slats retracted as opposed to extended. Never were we informed of what type of sign we struck or damage to airport property. Based on information I had and advice by maintenance personnel in ponce and a lack of concern by all ground personnel, I felt no need for a logbook entry in ponce. Supplemental information from acn 192867: I was assigned first officer duties on operating from ponce, pr, to bqn (aguadilla, pr) and on to ny (jfk). As a fully qualified captain, I was in the left seat for both of these legs. The tent did not pose an obstruction problem however it did obscure the initial portion of taxiway a, the parallel taxiway. We turned onto the taxiway and began our pretkof checklists. The aircraft was on centerline. The maintenance personnel said the aircraft had incurred no serious damage and was fit to fly. There were no NOTAMS concerning obstructions or taxiway closings nor did unicom inform us of any obstacles. As the PF both of the last legs, I would like it noted the aircraft handled normally in all flight regimes.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAXIING TFC HITS OBSTRUCTION AND ACFT IS DAMAGED. FLT CONTINUES TO DEST AFTER BRIEF EXAMINATION.

Narrative: I WAS OPERATING AS PIC WITH A CURRENT AND QUALIFIED CAPT AS MY FO. FOR THIS LEG OF THE TRIP I OCCUPIED THE R SEAT OF THE ACFT. PRIOR TO STARTING ENGS, THE CREW NOTED A LARGE WHITE TENT ON THE RAMP (APPROX 20 X 8 X 15) SITUATED PARALLEL TO THE TAXIWAY AND BTWN WHERE WE WERE PARKED AND THE TAXIWAY. WE TAXIED OUT AND SELECTED FLAPS 25. AS WE APCHED THE TAXIWAY, I CLRED US R OBSERVING CLRNC OF THE TENT AND NO TFC ON EITHER TAXIWAY OR RWY. AFTER TAXIING APPROX 100 YARDS WE WERE TOLD BY UNICOM TO STOP THE ACFT, THAT OUR MAINT PERSONNEL WANTED TO INSPECT THE ACFT, AND SOMETHING ELSE WE DID NOT UNDERSTAND, THAT WE HAD STRUCK A SIGN OF SOME SORT. AT NO TIME PRIOR TO THIS MESSAGE DID ANY CREW MEMBER HAVE ANY INDICATION THAT WE HAD STRUCK ANYTHING. AFTER SETTING THE PARKING BRAKE, THE ENGINEER WENT DOWN THE AFT AIRSTAIRS TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR DAMAGE. UPON HIS RETURN, HE INFORMED US THAT HE DISCOVERED FRESH PAINT ON THE #7 SLAT AND A SMALL 'DING' ON THE #8 SLAT. WE DISCUSSED ACTIONS TO BE TAKEN AND DECIDED TO WAIT FOR MAINT TO INSPECT THE ACFT. OUR MECH ARRIVED WITH HIS ASSISTANT IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME ACCOMPANIED BY NUMEROUS ARPT PERSONNEL. I OPENED MY WINDOW AND WATCHED AS HE INSPECTED THE LEADING EDGE DEVICES, UNDER PORTION OF THE WING AND TRAILING EDGE FLAPS. HE ASKED US TO CYCLE THE FLAPS FULL UP TO FULL DOWN WHICH WE DID. HE THEN APCHED THE FRONT OF THE ACFT AND GAVE ME A THUMBS UP SIGNAL AND WAVED US ON. I SHOUTED AT HIM INQUIRING OUR STATUS. HE SHOUTED BACK THAT HE SAW NO PROBLEMS AND WE COULD CONTINUE. BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE FLAPS AND SLATS CYCLED NORMALLY AND THE MECH CLRED US TO GO, I SAW NO REASON NOT TO CONTINUE. UPON ARR IN NEW YORK, CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL BOARDED THE ACFT AND CRITICIZED US FOR OPERATING THE ACFT. HE SAID THE SLATS WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. HIS INSPECTION OF THE ACFT WAS AT NIGHT AS OPPOSED TO DAYLIGHT IN PONCE AND WITH THE SLATS RETRACTED AS OPPOSED TO EXTENDED. NEVER WERE WE INFORMED OF WHAT TYPE OF SIGN WE STRUCK OR DAMAGE TO ARPT PROPERTY. BASED ON INFO I HAD AND ADVICE BY MAINT PERSONNEL IN PONCE AND A LACK OF CONCERN BY ALL GND PERSONNEL, I FELT NO NEED FOR A LOGBOOK ENTRY IN PONCE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 192867: I WAS ASSIGNED FO DUTIES ON OPERATING FROM PONCE, PR, TO BQN (AGUADILLA, PR) AND ON TO NY (JFK). AS A FULLY QUALIFIED CAPT, I WAS IN THE L SEAT FOR BOTH OF THESE LEGS. THE TENT DID NOT POSE AN OBSTRUCTION PROBLEM HOWEVER IT DID OBSCURE THE INITIAL PORTION OF TAXIWAY A, THE PARALLEL TAXIWAY. WE TURNED ONTO THE TAXIWAY AND BEGAN OUR PRETKOF CHKLISTS. THE ACFT WAS ON CENTERLINE. THE MAINT PERSONNEL SAID THE ACFT HAD INCURRED NO SERIOUS DAMAGE AND WAS FIT TO FLY. THERE WERE NO NOTAMS CONCERNING OBSTRUCTIONS OR TAXIWAY CLOSINGS NOR DID UNICOM INFORM US OF ANY OBSTACLES. AS THE PF BOTH OF THE LAST LEGS, I WOULD LIKE IT NOTED THE ACFT HANDLED NORMALLY IN ALL FLT REGIMES.

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.