<< >> NASA ASRS Report 394119, February 1998

A B737-300 prior to dispatch it was discovered #2 engine outboard fan cowling incurred unrpted damage.

Attributes
ACN	394119
Time
Date	199802
Day	Wed
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phx
State Reference	AZ
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	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 7500
ASRS Report	394119
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

We flew aircraft from dfw to phx, then got off. Prior to the next departure, impact damage was noted on the #2 engine outboard nacelle panel, consisting of a puncture of the composite material, which returned almost to its original shape and about 1 ft away, a long crack in the material. Phx station personnel said it didn't happen there, so it must have happened at dfw. Dfw personnel also denied causing the damage. At dfw there were no conditions which would have caused the first officer to conduct a rushed preflight. I'm sure the damage would have been much more noticeable if the nacelle had been metal, which would have retained the deformation had it been struck. Had the nacelle panel departed the aircraft because of being damaged, I'm not certain how much damage it might have caused. Because someone didn't want to take the blame for the damage, the aircraft may have been placed in danger.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 PRIOR TO DISPATCH IT WAS DISCOVERED #2 ENG OUTBOARD FAN COWLING INCURRED UNRPTED DAMAGE.

Narrative: WE FLEW ACFT FROM DFW TO PHX, THEN GOT OFF. PRIOR TO THE NEXT DEP, IMPACT DAMAGE WAS NOTED ON THE #2 ENG OUTBOARD NACELLE PANEL, CONSISTING OF A PUNCTURE OF THE COMPOSITE MATERIAL, WHICH RETURNED ALMOST TO ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE AND ABOUT 1 FT AWAY, A LONG CRACK IN THE MATERIAL. PHX STATION PERSONNEL SAID IT DIDN'T HAPPEN THERE, SO IT MUST HAVE HAPPENED AT DFW. DFW PERSONNEL ALSO DENIED CAUSING THE DAMAGE. AT DFW THERE WERE NO CONDITIONS WHICH WOULD HAVE CAUSED THE FO TO CONDUCT A RUSHED PREFLT. I'M SURE THE DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH MORE NOTICEABLE IF THE NACELLE HAD BEEN METAL, WHICH WOULD HAVE RETAINED THE DEFORMATION HAD IT BEEN STRUCK. HAD THE NACELLE PANEL DEPARTED THE ACFT BECAUSE OF BEING DAMAGED, I'M NOT CERTAIN HOW MUCH DAMAGE IT MIGHT HAVE CAUSED. BECAUSE SOMEONE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THE BLAME FOR THE DAMAGE, THE ACFT MAY HAVE BEEN PLACED IN DANGER.

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.