Narrative:

The captain and I had an aircraft change in cvg before our last leg of the day (cvg-mco). I preflted the aircraft, flew the flight as PF, deplaned the passenger at the gate, taxied the aircraft to the hangar for routine maintenance, and finally completed a post flight inspection. The next day we learned from our chief pilot that maintenance found damage to the aircraft that had been deliberately concealed. The entire flight was uneventful, however, the damage was significant enough to down the aircraft for several days. Apparently the damage to the left front fuselage near pilot pitot probe was due from some type of ground service vehicle. It was then colored with black magic marker to conceal it. I believe I do an above average preflight but do wish I would have noticed the damage. The chief pilot at mco said he did not think he would have noticed it on a routine preflight. I never saw the damage to the aircraft (except just the pitot tube after it had been removed by maintenance). It is imperative that ground crews report damage done to aircraft. I believe the person(south) which did the damage were more worried about their job consequences than the safety of the crew and passenger of the flight. Supplemental information from acn 335491: we turned the aircraft over to our mechanics. In the course of an inspection they noticed a small damaged area on the left upper nose area of the aircraft of approximately 6 inches across that had been purposely hidden by someone (possibly a ramp agent) using black magic marker. Upon further investigation (internally) it appeared that an extremely heavy object (possibly a galley truck) had struck the aircraft and had caused damage to a bulkhead, broken stringers, and a broken drain line from the pitot/static system. Note: the problem would probably have been reported instead of covered up, but our company pays minimum wage to our ramp agents and their policy is to fire anyone that damages equipment even if it was unintentional. This could be prevented by education and a change in policy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT DAMAGE APPARENTLY FROM GND SVC EQUIP, BUT CONCEALED WITH MARKER PEN. FLC DIDN'T NOTICE THE CONCEALED DAMAGE PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: THE CAPT AND I HAD AN ACFT CHANGE IN CVG BEFORE OUR LAST LEG OF THE DAY (CVG-MCO). I PREFLTED THE ACFT, FLEW THE FLT AS PF, DEPLANED THE PAX AT THE GATE, TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE HANGAR FOR ROUTINE MAINT, AND FINALLY COMPLETED A POST FLT INSPECTION. THE NEXT DAY WE LEARNED FROM OUR CHIEF PLT THAT MAINT FOUND DAMAGE TO THE ACFT THAT HAD BEEN DELIBERATELY CONCEALED. THE ENTIRE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL, HOWEVER, THE DAMAGE WAS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO DOWN THE ACFT FOR SEVERAL DAYS. APPARENTLY THE DAMAGE TO THE L FRONT FUSELAGE NEAR PLT PITOT PROBE WAS DUE FROM SOME TYPE OF GND SVC VEHICLE. IT WAS THEN COLORED WITH BLACK MAGIC MARKER TO CONCEAL IT. I BELIEVE I DO AN ABOVE AVERAGE PREFLT BUT DO WISH I WOULD HAVE NOTICED THE DAMAGE. THE CHIEF PLT AT MCO SAID HE DID NOT THINK HE WOULD HAVE NOTICED IT ON A ROUTINE PREFLT. I NEVER SAW THE DAMAGE TO THE ACFT (EXCEPT JUST THE PITOT TUBE AFTER IT HAD BEEN REMOVED BY MAINT). IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT GND CREWS RPT DAMAGE DONE TO ACFT. I BELIEVE THE PERSON(S) WHICH DID THE DAMAGE WERE MORE WORRIED ABOUT THEIR JOB CONSEQUENCES THAN THE SAFETY OF THE CREW AND PAX OF THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 335491: WE TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO OUR MECHS. IN THE COURSE OF AN INSPECTION THEY NOTICED A SMALL DAMAGED AREA ON THE L UPPER NOSE AREA OF THE ACFT OF APPROX 6 INCHES ACROSS THAT HAD BEEN PURPOSELY HIDDEN BY SOMEONE (POSSIBLY A RAMP AGENT) USING BLACK MAGIC MARKER. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION (INTERNALLY) IT APPEARED THAT AN EXTREMELY HVY OBJECT (POSSIBLY A GALLEY TRUCK) HAD STRUCK THE ACFT AND HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO A BULKHEAD, BROKEN STRINGERS, AND A BROKEN DRAIN LINE FROM THE PITOT/STATIC SYS. NOTE: THE PROB WOULD PROBABLY HAVE BEEN RPTED INSTEAD OF COVERED UP, BUT OUR COMPANY PAYS MINIMUM WAGE TO OUR RAMP AGENTS AND THEIR POLICY IS TO FIRE ANYONE THAT DAMAGES EQUIP EVEN IF IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL. THIS COULD BE PREVENTED BY EDUCATION AND A CHANGE IN POLICY.

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.