Narrative:

After flying from dtw to syr uneventfully, during walkaround the first officer discovered a piece of tape covering the alternate static port on left side of aircraft. I was notified of same and called dispatch and maintenance control to report same and try to find out how the tape ended up there. I wondered if a pitot static problem had been worked on and the tape was not removed, or if the airplane had been washed and the tape not removed. Maintenance control checked their computer and told me that no recent work had been done to the pitot static system. Also they could not tell when the airplane was last washed. I don't know if tape was not noticed by first officer upon doing walkaround in dtw and also not noticed by mechanic that did the line check that morning in dtw, or if somehow, somebody put the tape on in syracuse. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated that after reporting the incident no information was given as to who worked in this area and who could have taped the alternate static port. The reporter said it was red tape like the type used when the static ports are pumped down for testing but the logbook and maintenance history indicate no work in this system. The reporter stated that other airlines do not use tape but have covers with bright streamers attached to alert everyone that the ports are covered.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ON WALKAROUND PREFLT CHK ON A DC9 THE FO FOUND THE L ALTERNATE STATIC PORT TAPED OVER. NO LOGBOOK OR MAINT HISTORY OF WORK PERFORMED IN THIS AREA.

Narrative: AFTER FLYING FROM DTW TO SYR UNEVENTFULLY, DURING WALKAROUND THE FO DISCOVERED A PIECE OF TAPE COVERING THE ALTERNATE STATIC PORT ON L SIDE OF ACFT. I WAS NOTIFIED OF SAME AND CALLED DISPATCH AND MAINT CTL TO RPT SAME AND TRY TO FIND OUT HOW THE TAPE ENDED UP THERE. I WONDERED IF A PITOT STATIC PROBLEM HAD BEEN WORKED ON AND THE TAPE WAS NOT REMOVED, OR IF THE AIRPLANE HAD BEEN WASHED AND THE TAPE NOT REMOVED. MAINT CTL CHKED THEIR COMPUTER AND TOLD ME THAT NO RECENT WORK HAD BEEN DONE TO THE PITOT STATIC SYS. ALSO THEY COULD NOT TELL WHEN THE AIRPLANE WAS LAST WASHED. I DON'T KNOW IF TAPE WAS NOT NOTICED BY FO UPON DOING WALKAROUND IN DTW AND ALSO NOT NOTICED BY MECH THAT DID THE LINE CHK THAT MORNING IN DTW, OR IF SOMEHOW, SOMEBODY PUT THE TAPE ON IN SYRACUSE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT AFTER RPTING THE INCIDENT NO INFO WAS GIVEN AS TO WHO WORKED IN THIS AREA AND WHO COULD HAVE TAPED THE ALTERNATE STATIC PORT. THE RPTR SAID IT WAS RED TAPE LIKE THE TYPE USED WHEN THE STATIC PORTS ARE PUMPED DOWN FOR TESTING BUT THE LOGBOOK AND MAINT HISTORY INDICATE NO WORK IN THIS SYS. THE RPTR STATED THAT OTHER AIRLINES DO NOT USE TAPE BUT HAVE COVERS WITH BRIGHT STREAMERS ATTACHED TO ALERT EVERYONE THAT THE PORTS ARE COVERED.

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.