Flight crew experiences nose gear door damage on pushback on 2 occasions.

Attributes
ACN	311980
Time
Date	199507
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Series (DC-9-80) Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 160 flight time total : 13500 flight time type : 5500
ASRS Report	311980
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 9300 flight time type : 150
ASRS Report	312315
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

While pushing back off of gate in dca, we had a tow bar pop off and in doing so, the right nose gear door received a small dent. The pushback crew did not notice it and signaled all was ok. We proceeded to mco with no indication (noise or vibration) of any damage. We found dent on our postflt walkaround in mco. Before leaving dca my first officer noticed a smaller dent in approximately the same location. It was close to departure time and we talked to a mechanic about writing it up, but since it was so small we decided to take care of it at the next station, when we had more time. I believe the first dent might have happened the night before when we also had a tow bar come off. Safety was never compromised in any way at any time. I am writing this only because paperwork seems to have become more important than the actual flying. I understand that the mechanics are trying to blame each other for the larger dent and if I had properly logged the first dent there would be no question where the second dent came from. In the future I will insist all paperwork is done -- no matter how long the delay.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC EXPERIENCES NOSE GEAR DOOR DAMAGE ON PUSHBACK ON 2 OCCASIONS.

Narrative: WHILE PUSHING BACK OFF OF GATE IN DCA, WE HAD A TOW BAR POP OFF AND IN DOING SO, THE R NOSE GEAR DOOR RECEIVED A SMALL DENT. THE PUSHBACK CREW DID NOT NOTICE IT AND SIGNALED ALL WAS OK. WE PROCEEDED TO MCO WITH NO INDICATION (NOISE OR VIBRATION) OF ANY DAMAGE. WE FOUND DENT ON OUR POSTFLT WALKAROUND IN MCO. BEFORE LEAVING DCA MY FO NOTICED A SMALLER DENT IN APPROX THE SAME LOCATION. IT WAS CLOSE TO DEP TIME AND WE TALKED TO A MECH ABOUT WRITING IT UP, BUT SINCE IT WAS SO SMALL WE DECIDED TO TAKE CARE OF IT AT THE NEXT STATION, WHEN WE HAD MORE TIME. I BELIEVE THE FIRST DENT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED THE NIGHT BEFORE WHEN WE ALSO HAD A TOW BAR COME OFF. SAFETY WAS NEVER COMPROMISED IN ANY WAY AT ANY TIME. I AM WRITING THIS ONLY BECAUSE PAPERWORK SEEMS TO HAVE BECOME MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE ACTUAL FLYING. I UNDERSTAND THAT THE MECHS ARE TRYING TO BLAME EACH OTHER FOR THE LARGER DENT AND IF I HAD PROPERLY LOGGED THE FIRST DENT THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION WHERE THE SECOND DENT CAME FROM. IN THE FUTURE I WILL INSIST ALL PAPERWORK IS DONE -- NO MATTER HOW LONG THE DELAY.

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.