Narrative:

Hole in port leading edge. After climb out, at approximately 16000 ft, a passenger noticed a hole in the leading edge slat. A flight attendant was notified and in turn notified the cockpit. The captain asked that I take a look and, upon verifying that it was indeed a hole, the captain declared an emergency and asked for a landing back in sfo. All checklists were followed and, upon selecting flaps to 5 degrees, a strong vibration was noted. Flaps 1 degree was selected and a no flap landing was elected. Landing was uneventful. No hole was noted by maintenance upon release or by this first officer during his walk around or the pushback crew at pushback. No vibration was noted until flaps 5 degrees was selected for landing. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter flies the B-767 for a major united states air carrier. A boeing representative met the aircraft when it returned to the gate and determined that the top of one of the leading edge slats had delaminated. A piece about 1 ft wide and 3 ft long came off from the aft of the slat forward. A following air carrier aircraft saw the piece leave the aircraft and reported this to sfo ATCT. The aircraft refused to takeoff until an inspection of the runway had been made. The reporter's aircraft was not notified of the missing piece by either sfo ATCT or by bay TRACON. The vibration was 'alarming' when the flaps and slats were started to the down position, so a no flap landing was made. There is no procedure in this air carrier's flight manual to leave the leading edge slats up and command the trailing edge slats down. The landing was uneventful but fast. The flight crew has heard nothing further from the FAA on this matter.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB SKIN DELAMINATION OF PART OF A LEADING EDGE SLAT.

Narrative: HOLE IN PORT LEADING EDGE. AFTER CLBOUT, AT APPROX 16000 FT, A PAX NOTICED A HOLE IN THE LEADING EDGE SLAT. A FLT ATTENDANT WAS NOTIFIED AND IN TURN NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT. THE CAPT ASKED THAT I TAKE A LOOK AND, UPON VERIFYING THAT IT WAS INDEED A HOLE, THE CAPT DECLARED AN EMER AND ASKED FOR A LNDG BACK IN SFO. ALL CHKLISTS WERE FOLLOWED AND, UPON SELECTING FLAPS TO 5 DEGS, A STRONG VIBRATION WAS NOTED. FLAPS 1 DEG WAS SELECTED AND A NO FLAP LNDG WAS ELECTED. LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. NO HOLE WAS NOTED BY MAINT UPON RELEASE OR BY THIS FO DURING HIS WALK AROUND OR THE PUSHBACK CREW AT PUSHBACK. NO VIBRATION WAS NOTED UNTIL FLAPS 5 DEGS WAS SELECTED FOR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR FLIES THE B-767 FOR A MAJOR UNITED STATES ACR. A BOEING REPRESENTATIVE MET THE ACFT WHEN IT RETURNED TO THE GATE AND DETERMINED THAT THE TOP OF ONE OF THE LEADING EDGE SLATS HAD DELAMINATED. A PIECE ABOUT 1 FT WIDE AND 3 FT LONG CAME OFF FROM THE AFT OF THE SLAT FORWARD. A FOLLOWING ACR ACFT SAW THE PIECE LEAVE THE ACFT AND RPTED THIS TO SFO ATCT. THE ACFT REFUSED TO TKOF UNTIL AN INSPECTION OF THE RWY HAD BEEN MADE. THE RPTR'S ACFT WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE MISSING PIECE BY EITHER SFO ATCT OR BY BAY TRACON. THE VIBRATION WAS 'ALARMING' WHEN THE FLAPS AND SLATS WERE STARTED TO THE DOWN POS, SO A NO FLAP LNDG WAS MADE. THERE IS NO PROC IN THIS ACR'S FLT MANUAL TO LEAVE THE LEADING EDGE SLATS UP AND COMMAND THE TRAILING EDGE SLATS DOWN. THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL BUT FAST. THE FLC HAS HEARD NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE FAA ON THIS MATTER.

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.