Narrative:

Flight jfk to atl. Upon arrival at atlanta hartsfield I secured the aircraft myself. The captain first officer had already gone inside the cargo building. I supervised the unloading of freight. The ramp handlers seemed to take longer than usual (not our own people). I wrapped up everything in the cockpit but the 'B' pumps, the APU and the battery. I had ample time, so I did a walk around -- not as thorough as I would have done on aircraft acceptance prior to flight. I left the air stair down because I did not know if the ramp people would want to put the tailstand back in the aircraft, and the air stair also acts as a tailstand when loading/unloading our large transport. I continued my walk around and noted no discrepancies at all. I buttoned up the cockpit (cargo door, 'B' pumps, APU battery) and closed the side door (main entrance). After the equipment was moved away from the aircraft, I raised the air stair. Several hours later the FAA ramped our airplane and noted a cut in the #3 main tire. The tire was being changed that evening when we arrived to fly back to jfk. About 1 week later my supervisor wanted me to explain why the tire was not caught on my 'post flight' -- the FAA was asking... There are several reasons: the WX was poor and it had been raining. The tires may have been wet, making tire cracks look better than they may be. Most pilots rush away from the airplane, leaving the so behind. A prudent so doing a post flight is very rushed, and would most likely be left behind when the hotel van shows up. Neither our general operations manual or our aircraft operations manual require the so to do a post flight on termination (which this was). I am told that so's are instructed to do so in IOE... I was not. I have a copy of our company training manual. It does not outline any post flight in IOE. Most pilots lock the aircraft walk away -- leaving this type of problem for preflight which is where I would have caught it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CARGO ACFT RAMP CHKED WHEN PARKED. FAA FINDS A CUT IN TIRE.

Narrative: FLT JFK TO ATL. UPON ARR AT ATLANTA HARTSFIELD I SECURED THE ACFT MYSELF. THE CAPT FO HAD ALREADY GONE INSIDE THE CARGO BUILDING. I SUPERVISED THE UNLOADING OF FREIGHT. THE RAMP HANDLERS SEEMED TO TAKE LONGER THAN USUAL (NOT OUR OWN PEOPLE). I WRAPPED UP EVERYTHING IN THE COCKPIT BUT THE 'B' PUMPS, THE APU AND THE BATTERY. I HAD AMPLE TIME, SO I DID A WALK AROUND -- NOT AS THOROUGH AS I WOULD HAVE DONE ON ACFT ACCEPTANCE PRIOR TO FLT. I LEFT THE AIR STAIR DOWN BECAUSE I DID NOT KNOW IF THE RAMP PEOPLE WOULD WANT TO PUT THE TAILSTAND BACK IN THE ACFT, AND THE AIR STAIR ALSO ACTS AS A TAILSTAND WHEN LOADING/UNLOADING OUR LGT. I CONTINUED MY WALK AROUND AND NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES AT ALL. I BUTTONED UP THE COCKPIT (CARGO DOOR, 'B' PUMPS, APU BATTERY) AND CLOSED THE SIDE DOOR (MAIN ENTRANCE). AFTER THE EQUIP WAS MOVED AWAY FROM THE ACFT, I RAISED THE AIR STAIR. SEVERAL HRS LATER THE FAA RAMPED OUR AIRPLANE AND NOTED A CUT IN THE #3 MAIN TIRE. THE TIRE WAS BEING CHANGED THAT EVENING WHEN WE ARRIVED TO FLY BACK TO JFK. ABOUT 1 WK LATER MY SUPVR WANTED ME TO EXPLAIN WHY THE TIRE WAS NOT CAUGHT ON MY 'POST FLT' -- THE FAA WAS ASKING... THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS: THE WX WAS POOR AND IT HAD BEEN RAINING. THE TIRES MAY HAVE BEEN WET, MAKING TIRE CRACKS LOOK BETTER THAN THEY MAY BE. MOST PLTS RUSH AWAY FROM THE AIRPLANE, LEAVING THE SO BEHIND. A PRUDENT SO DOING A POST FLT IS VERY RUSHED, AND WOULD MOST LIKELY BE LEFT BEHIND WHEN THE HOTEL VAN SHOWS UP. NEITHER OUR GENERAL OPS MANUAL OR OUR ACFT OPS MANUAL REQUIRE THE SO TO DO A POST FLT ON TERMINATION (WHICH THIS WAS). I AM TOLD THAT SO'S ARE INSTRUCTED TO DO SO IN IOE... I WAS NOT. I HAVE A COPY OF OUR COMPANY TRAINING MANUAL. IT DOES NOT OUTLINE ANY POST FLT IN IOE. MOST PLTS LOCK THE ACFT WALK AWAY -- LEAVING THIS TYPE OF PROBLEM FOR PREFLT WHICH IS WHERE I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT IT.

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.