Narrative:

I was conducting a phase check for my company's far part 141 training program. I had been running behind schedule all day, and had started the day at XW00 local. The flight was scheduled to depart at XX00 local, but due to being behind, I first met the student and briefed her for the flight at approximately 1 hour 15 mins late. After the preflight briefing, I performed my usual preflight walk around. In my haste, I neglected to use a checklist, and I failed to inspect the propeller. The flight proceeded as planned and was conducted without incident. No aircraft anomalies were noticed during, before, or after the flight. No post-flight inspection was conducted due to me being behind schedule. Approximately 2 hours after the flight, while conducting a simulator session, the flight supervisor on duty called me out to the aircraft I had flown, an small aircraft, and pointed out extensive damage to the propeller. One blade had regularly shaped and spaced, triangular gouges in its leading edge, covering the last 6-7 inches of its length. The leading edge tip was missing, the front surface was scratched, and the opposite edge had a chunk missing out of its back surface. It was later determined that a solo student 2 flts prior, had taxied over a runway light at an outlying field and failed to report the incident. This same student then flew the same aircraft, in a flight with his instructor. That instructor also failed to note the damage, nor did the student report the incident to his instructor prior to the flight. I was the next person to fly the aircraft. As a result of my carelessness, I was suspended for 1 day without pay. Factors leading to this negligence included a lack of proper rest (5 hours sleep prior night), no food in the 2 hours prior to the incident, a heavy, demanding flight schedule with activities scheduled back-to-back since that morning that caused me to be rushed, trust in the student to do a proper preflight -- she held a private pilot certificate, and the fact that I have never found a propeller to be damaged before in my 9 yrs of flying.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSTRUCTOR AND STUDENT FAIL TO SEE DAMAGED PROP ON PREFLT INSPECTION.

Narrative: I WAS CONDUCTING A PHASE CHK FOR MY COMPANY'S FAR PART 141 TRAINING PROGRAM. I HAD BEEN RUNNING BEHIND SCHEDULE ALL DAY, AND HAD STARTED THE DAY AT XW00 LCL. THE FLT WAS SCHEDULED TO DEPART AT XX00 LCL, BUT DUE TO BEING BEHIND, I FIRST MET THE STUDENT AND BRIEFED HER FOR THE FLT AT APPROX 1 HR 15 MINS LATE. AFTER THE PREFLT BRIEFING, I PERFORMED MY USUAL PREFLT WALK AROUND. IN MY HASTE, I NEGLECTED TO USE A CHKLIST, AND I FAILED TO INSPECT THE PROP. THE FLT PROCEEDED AS PLANNED AND WAS CONDUCTED WITHOUT INCIDENT. NO ACFT ANOMALIES WERE NOTICED DURING, BEFORE, OR AFTER THE FLT. NO POST-FLT INSPECTION WAS CONDUCTED DUE TO ME BEING BEHIND SCHEDULE. APPROX 2 HRS AFTER THE FLT, WHILE CONDUCTING A SIMULATOR SESSION, THE FLT SUPVR ON DUTY CALLED ME OUT TO THE ACFT I HAD FLOWN, AN SMA, AND POINTED OUT EXTENSIVE DAMAGE TO THE PROP. ONE BLADE HAD REGULARLY SHAPED AND SPACED, TRIANGULAR GOUGES IN ITS LEADING EDGE, COVERING THE LAST 6-7 INCHES OF ITS LENGTH. THE LEADING EDGE TIP WAS MISSING, THE FRONT SURFACE WAS SCRATCHED, AND THE OPPOSITE EDGE HAD A CHUNK MISSING OUT OF ITS BACK SURFACE. IT WAS LATER DETERMINED THAT A SOLO STUDENT 2 FLTS PRIOR, HAD TAXIED OVER A RWY LIGHT AT AN OUTLYING FIELD AND FAILED TO RPT THE INCIDENT. THIS SAME STUDENT THEN FLEW THE SAME ACFT, IN A FLT WITH HIS INSTRUCTOR. THAT INSTRUCTOR ALSO FAILED TO NOTE THE DAMAGE, NOR DID THE STUDENT RPT THE INCIDENT TO HIS INSTRUCTOR PRIOR TO THE FLT. I WAS THE NEXT PERSON TO FLY THE ACFT. AS A RESULT OF MY CARELESSNESS, I WAS SUSPENDED FOR 1 DAY WITHOUT PAY. FACTORS LEADING TO THIS NEGLIGENCE INCLUDED A LACK OF PROPER REST (5 HRS SLEEP PRIOR NIGHT), NO FOOD IN THE 2 HRS PRIOR TO THE INCIDENT, A HVY, DEMANDING FLT SCHEDULE WITH ACTIVITIES SCHEDULED BACK-TO-BACK SINCE THAT MORNING THAT CAUSED ME TO BE RUSHED, TRUST IN THE STUDENT TO DO A PROPER PREFLT -- SHE HELD A PRIVATE PLT CERTIFICATE, AND THE FACT THAT I HAVE NEVER FOUND A PROP TO BE DAMAGED BEFORE IN MY 9 YRS OF FLYING.

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.