Narrative:

While performing the paperwork for the flight from akron, ohio to chicago, illinois the captain and I were seated in the cockpit. Prior to the starting engine checklist, one of the flight attendants came to the cockpit and informed us that a ground support person had hit the back door with a belt loader while pulling away from the aircraft. She also said she was unable to close the door. I was finishing the weight and balance, so the captain volunteered to go and check out the door. He was gone about 5 mins and I could hear him trying to close the door. Upon his return he said, 'the door is ok, all the pins appear out and the seal around the door looks fine, let's go.' I then told him I would feel better if maintenance gave us the ok. So the captain got off the airplane and called maintenance in south bend. The captain said that he explained to maintenance that the pins all appeared out and that the seal was good. He also said that maintenance's response was if the visual inspection of the pins and seal were ok, that the airplane was ok to fly. Maintenance gave us the ok to go. We proceeded with normal procedures and had an uneventful trip to chicago. When we were getting off the airplane, maintenance informed us we should not have conducted the flight due to the condition of the door itself. Maintenance said there was damage to the hinge of the door. If something like this was to happen again, I would accompany the captain to inspect the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGED BY BELT LOADER. CAPT TAKES ACFT ANYWAY AFTER A CURSORY INSPECTION.

Narrative: WHILE PERFORMING THE PAPERWORK FOR THE FLT FROM AKRON, OHIO TO CHICAGO, ILLINOIS THE CAPT AND I WERE SEATED IN THE COCKPIT. PRIOR TO THE STARTING ENG CHKLIST, ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT A GND SUPPORT PERSON HAD HIT THE BACK DOOR WITH A BELT LOADER WHILE PULLING AWAY FROM THE ACFT. SHE ALSO SAID SHE WAS UNABLE TO CLOSE THE DOOR. I WAS FINISHING THE WT AND BAL, SO THE CAPT VOLUNTEERED TO GO AND CHK OUT THE DOOR. HE WAS GONE ABOUT 5 MINS AND I COULD HEAR HIM TRYING TO CLOSE THE DOOR. UPON HIS RETURN HE SAID, 'THE DOOR IS OK, ALL THE PINS APPEAR OUT AND THE SEAL AROUND THE DOOR LOOKS FINE, LET'S GO.' I THEN TOLD HIM I WOULD FEEL BETTER IF MAINT GAVE US THE OK. SO THE CAPT GOT OFF THE AIRPLANE AND CALLED MAINT IN S BEND. THE CAPT SAID THAT HE EXPLAINED TO MAINT THAT THE PINS ALL APPEARED OUT AND THAT THE SEAL WAS GOOD. HE ALSO SAID THAT MAINT'S RESPONSE WAS IF THE VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE PINS AND SEAL WERE OK, THAT THE AIRPLANE WAS OK TO FLY. MAINT GAVE US THE OK TO GO. WE PROCEEDED WITH NORMAL PROCS AND HAD AN UNEVENTFUL TRIP TO CHICAGO. WHEN WE WERE GETTING OFF THE AIRPLANE, MAINT INFORMED US WE SHOULD NOT HAVE CONDUCTED THE FLT DUE TO THE CONDITION OF THE DOOR ITSELF. MAINT SAID THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE HINGE OF THE DOOR. IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS WAS TO HAPPEN AGAIN, I WOULD ACCOMPANY THE CAPT TO INSPECT THE PROB.

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.