Air carrier heavy transport cargo aircraft received engine cowling dent during taxi for takeoff.

Attributes
ACN	232610
Time
Date	199301
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bdl
State Reference	CT
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Heavy Transport, Low Wing, 4 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground other : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : instrument pilot : commercial pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 3500 flight time type : 1000
ASRS Report	232610
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 95 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	231681
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe conflict : ground less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft had blocked out of bdl, was in the process of starting #1 engine during taxi for takeoff. Informed FBO we were returning due to 2 hung starts. FBO mechanic asked us to attempt 1 more start while taxiing in. Third attempt was successful just as we arrived at the ramp. Informed FBO of our successful start and advised them we were continuing operations normal. FBO acknowledged and told us if we needed anything else to call. Log entry was made at this time for 2 hung starts. After arriving phl, while in operations, phl mechanics inquired as to what happened at bdl. They informed us that they had heard from bdl that we had hit a snow bank with the #1 engine pod while taxiing. They also noted a small dent outboard #1 engine pod. At aircraft I noted a small dent on the lower outboard portion of #1 engine. No scratch was present nor was any paint missing. Maintenance filled out an incident report, signed off the hung starts by tightening some fuel lines and we continued to sdf without incident. I do not believe any of the snow banks at bdl were high enough to impact the engine where the dent was (approximately 4 ft up). But if in fact the snow banks were that high and we did hit one and the FBO knew this, then why wasn't that information relayed to us (since I spoke with them throughout the taxi process). By allowing us to continue they exposed us and others to unnecessary danger by not informing us and allowing us to do a proper inspection. If this is true then the FBO personnel were more concerned with an on-time departure than with safety. Another explanation could be that the pod was dented during the loading process and went unnoticed by us since the preflight was accomplished prior to the loading being completed. There have been instances in the past where a loader hits the aircraft and doesn't feel the necessity to report it due to reprisals or in his opinion that the damage is not substantial.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR HVT CARGO ACFT RECEIVED ENG COWLING DENT DURING TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative: ACFT HAD BLOCKED OUT OF BDL, WAS IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING #1 ENG DURING TAXI FOR TKOF. INFORMED FBO WE WERE RETURNING DUE TO 2 HUNG STARTS. FBO MECH ASKED US TO ATTEMPT 1 MORE START WHILE TAXIING IN. THIRD ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL JUST AS WE ARRIVED AT THE RAMP. INFORMED FBO OF OUR SUCCESSFUL START AND ADVISED THEM WE WERE CONTINUING OPS NORMAL. FBO ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD US IF WE NEEDED ANYTHING ELSE TO CALL. LOG ENTRY WAS MADE AT THIS TIME FOR 2 HUNG STARTS. AFTER ARRIVING PHL, WHILE IN OPS, PHL MECHS INQUIRED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED AT BDL. THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD HEARD FROM BDL THAT WE HAD HIT A SNOW BANK WITH THE #1 ENG POD WHILE TAXIING. THEY ALSO NOTED A SMALL DENT OUTBOARD #1 ENG POD. AT ACFT I NOTED A SMALL DENT ON THE LOWER OUTBOARD PORTION OF #1 ENG. NO SCRATCH WAS PRESENT NOR WAS ANY PAINT MISSING. MAINT FILLED OUT AN INCIDENT RPT, SIGNED OFF THE HUNG STARTS BY TIGHTENING SOME FUEL LINES AND WE CONTINUED TO SDF WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF THE SNOW BANKS AT BDL WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO IMPACT THE ENG WHERE THE DENT WAS (APPROX 4 FT UP). BUT IF IN FACT THE SNOW BANKS WERE THAT HIGH AND WE DID HIT ONE AND THE FBO KNEW THIS, THEN WHY WASN'T THAT INFO RELAYED TO US (SINCE I SPOKE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE TAXI PROCESS). BY ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE THEY EXPOSED US AND OTHERS TO UNNECESSARY DANGER BY NOT INFORMING US AND ALLOWING US TO DO A PROPER INSPECTION. IF THIS IS TRUE THEN THE FBO PERSONNEL WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH AN ON-TIME DEP THAN WITH SAFETY. ANOTHER EXPLANATION COULD BE THAT THE POD WAS DENTED DURING THE LOADING PROCESS AND WENT UNNOTICED BY US SINCE THE PREFLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO THE LOADING BEING COMPLETED. THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES IN THE PAST WHERE A LOADER HITS THE ACFT AND DOESN'T FEEL THE NECESSITY TO RPT IT DUE TO REPRISALS OR IN HIS OPINION THAT THE DAMAGE IS NOT SUBSTANTIAL.

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.