Narrative:

When the aircraft that we were to use for our first 2 legs arrived, it was a little behind schedule. My crew and I went out to the aircraft to begin our shift. My co-pilot, started the preflight walk-around while I went to opts to see if my WX packet had arrived. After I returned to the aircraft, my copilot informed me that the preflight had been completed. We then proceeded to complete all the other required checks and informed ground personnel that we were ready to begin boarding. A few minutes after we had been given the passenger cutoff, we were told that there were some late bags coming over from air carrier. After they arrived, we completed the weight and balance and departed for monterey. Due to the headwinds and our late departure out of lax, we needed to do a quick turn in monterey to try to get back on schedule. I departed the aircraft in monterey to go inside operations and pick up my WX. Once I returned to the aircraft, we completed the weight and balance and departed for lax. After arriving in lax, we were informed that no gate space was available so we held at the bottom of the alley for approximately 20 mins. A few mins after pulling into the gate at lax and shutting down the engines, the copilot of the crew that was taking over the aircraft from us, asked me what struck the aircraft from the rear. I knew nothing of this and after investigating I saw a scraped area approximately 10 inches long on the rear of the aircraft below the a.P.U. Commencing forward with a puncture the size of a dime at the end. Also at the rear end of the left stabilizer fin on the tail was some fiberglass damage. (See attached diagram) I called my copilot over, who said he hadn't noticed the damage during the preflight. In my opinion during a normal preflight, working from the left forward side around to the right in a counter-clockwise direction, I could see how this may have been missed due to the small size of the damage. The fiberglass damage was very difficult to notice unless looking from behind the aircraft from where the unknown vehicle must have made contact. I then questioned my flight attendant, who was with the aircraft since we had taken it over. She replied she had not heard or seen anything unusual. I questioned the lax rampers - none of them know anything concerning it. After returning to monterey in a different aircraft, I questioned them and they knew nothing about it either.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: COMMUTER ARRIVES AFTER 1 STOP ENRTE. NEW CREW ASKS ABOUT TAIL DAMAGE. NO ONE KNOWS WHEN OR HOW IT HAPPENED.

Narrative: WHEN THE ACFT THAT WE WERE TO USE FOR OUR FIRST 2 LEGS ARRIVED, IT WAS A LITTLE BEHIND SCHEDULE. MY CREW AND I WENT OUT TO THE ACFT TO BEGIN OUR SHIFT. MY CO-PLT, STARTED THE PREFLT WALK-AROUND WHILE I WENT TO OPTS TO SEE IF MY WX PACKET HAD ARRIVED. AFTER I RETURNED TO THE ACFT, MY COPLT INFORMED ME THAT THE PREFLT HAD BEEN COMPLETED. WE THEN PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE ALL THE OTHER REQUIRED CHKS AND INFORMED GND PERSONNEL THAT WE WERE READY TO BEGIN BOARDING. A FEW MINUTES AFTER WE HAD BEEN GIVEN THE PAX CUTOFF, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE WERE SOME LATE BAGS COMING OVER FROM ACR. AFTER THEY ARRIVED, WE COMPLETED THE WT AND BAL AND DEPARTED FOR MONTEREY. DUE TO THE HEADWINDS AND OUR LATE DEP OUT OF LAX, WE NEEDED TO DO A QUICK TURN IN MONTEREY TO TRY TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE. I DEPARTED THE ACFT IN MONTEREY TO GO INSIDE OPS AND PICK UP MY WX. ONCE I RETURNED TO THE ACFT, WE COMPLETED THE WT AND BAL AND DEPARTED FOR LAX. AFTER ARRIVING IN LAX, WE WERE INFORMED THAT NO GATE SPACE WAS AVAILABLE SO WE HELD AT THE BOTTOM OF THE ALLEY FOR APPROX 20 MINS. A FEW MINS AFTER PULLING INTO THE GATE AT LAX AND SHUTTING DOWN THE ENGS, THE COPLT OF THE CREW THAT WAS TAKING OVER THE ACFT FROM US, ASKED ME WHAT STRUCK THE ACFT FROM THE REAR. I KNEW NOTHING OF THIS AND AFTER INVESTIGATING I SAW A SCRAPED AREA APPROX 10 INCHES LONG ON THE REAR OF THE ACFT BELOW THE A.P.U. COMMENCING FORWARD WITH A PUNCTURE THE SIZE OF A DIME AT THE END. ALSO AT THE REAR END OF THE L STABILIZER FIN ON THE TAIL WAS SOME FIBERGLASS DAMAGE. (SEE ATTACHED DIAGRAM) I CALLED MY COPLT OVER, WHO SAID HE HADN'T NOTICED THE DAMAGE DURING THE PREFLT. IN MY OPINION DURING A NORMAL PREFLT, WORKING FROM THE L FORWARD SIDE AROUND TO THE R IN A COUNTER-CLOCKWISE DIRECTION, I COULD SEE HOW THIS MAY HAVE BEEN MISSED DUE TO THE SMALL SIZE OF THE DAMAGE. THE FIBERGLASS DAMAGE WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO NOTICE UNLESS LOOKING FROM BEHIND THE ACFT FROM WHERE THE UNKNOWN VEHICLE MUST HAVE MADE CONTACT. I THEN QUESTIONED MY FLT ATTENDANT, WHO WAS WITH THE ACFT SINCE WE HAD TAKEN IT OVER. SHE REPLIED SHE HAD NOT HEARD OR SEEN ANYTHING UNUSUAL. I QUESTIONED THE LAX RAMPERS - NONE OF THEM KNOW ANYTHING CONCERNING IT. AFTER RETURNING TO MONTEREY IN A DIFFERENT ACFT, I QUESTIONED THEM AND THEY KNEW NOTHING ABOUT IT EITHER.

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.