Narrative:

On may/xa/98 I was called for a trip from msp to geg. I arrived at the gate and met rest of the crew, and we started our preflight checks. Lead flight attendant found a broken lens on emergency aisle lights, front of seat xx. We wrote item in the logbook and called maintenance. Maintenance put delay on departure time and started working on problem. We were finished with our checks. I started noticing high winds outside. Rain was getting heavy at times. I suggested all crew leave the airplane. Only cockpit crew took my suggestion. We left airplane and went into gate area of terminal. I noticed small hail mixed with rain for a very short period. After maintenance finished with their work, logbook was signed and airplane was released. We did our preflight check again, including another walkaround. Everything seemed ok. WX had passed the airport. We pushed back from gate and had to wait for ATC to change runways around. Departed runway 12R. Airplane flew normally. On arrival to geg, we were informed by ACARS message contract maintenance was going to inspect the aircraft for hail damage. Next morning I was informed by crew coordinators that flight outbound was canceled and asked us to ferry airplane to everett, wa, paine field, for repairs. On arrival to airplane, all 3 crew members walked around the airplane. Still could not see any damage. After borrowing a ladder from fuel truck, we inspected top of the wings and found the dent on right inboard aileron 1/2 inch diameter dent with small crack on metal 1/4 inch long, oriented fore and aft. Mechanic speed taped the dent. We ferried airplane. To prevent this kind of situation: 1) we will have to ground the airplane and get maintenance to check the aircraft. 2) company should call taxiing aircraft back if they suspected/noticed any damage on any aircraft at the airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIC RPT OF HAIL DAMAGE TO HIS B727 WHILE IT WAS SITTING AT THE GATE AT MSP. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN AND THE DAMAGE DISCOVERED THE NEXT MORNING WITH A RESULTING FERRY FLT FOR ACFT REPAIRS.

Narrative: ON MAY/XA/98 I WAS CALLED FOR A TRIP FROM MSP TO GEG. I ARRIVED AT THE GATE AND MET REST OF THE CREW, AND WE STARTED OUR PREFLT CHKS. LEAD FLT ATTENDANT FOUND A BROKEN LENS ON EMER AISLE LIGHTS, FRONT OF SEAT XX. WE WROTE ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK AND CALLED MAINT. MAINT PUT DELAY ON DEP TIME AND STARTED WORKING ON PROB. WE WERE FINISHED WITH OUR CHKS. I STARTED NOTICING HIGH WINDS OUTSIDE. RAIN WAS GETTING HVY AT TIMES. I SUGGESTED ALL CREW LEAVE THE AIRPLANE. ONLY COCKPIT CREW TOOK MY SUGGESTION. WE LEFT AIRPLANE AND WENT INTO GATE AREA OF TERMINAL. I NOTICED SMALL HAIL MIXED WITH RAIN FOR A VERY SHORT PERIOD. AFTER MAINT FINISHED WITH THEIR WORK, LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED AND AIRPLANE WAS RELEASED. WE DID OUR PREFLT CHK AGAIN, INCLUDING ANOTHER WALKAROUND. EVERYTHING SEEMED OK. WX HAD PASSED THE ARPT. WE PUSHED BACK FROM GATE AND HAD TO WAIT FOR ATC TO CHANGE RWYS AROUND. DEPARTED RWY 12R. AIRPLANE FLEW NORMALLY. ON ARR TO GEG, WE WERE INFORMED BY ACARS MESSAGE CONTRACT MAINT WAS GOING TO INSPECT THE ACFT FOR HAIL DAMAGE. NEXT MORNING I WAS INFORMED BY CREW COORDINATORS THAT FLT OUTBOUND WAS CANCELED AND ASKED US TO FERRY AIRPLANE TO EVERETT, WA, PAINE FIELD, FOR REPAIRS. ON ARR TO AIRPLANE, ALL 3 CREW MEMBERS WALKED AROUND THE AIRPLANE. STILL COULD NOT SEE ANY DAMAGE. AFTER BORROWING A LADDER FROM FUEL TRUCK, WE INSPECTED TOP OF THE WINGS AND FOUND THE DENT ON R INBOARD AILERON 1/2 INCH DIAMETER DENT WITH SMALL CRACK ON METAL 1/4 INCH LONG, ORIENTED FORE AND AFT. MECH SPD TAPED THE DENT. WE FERRIED AIRPLANE. TO PREVENT THIS KIND OF SIT: 1) WE WILL HAVE TO GND THE AIRPLANE AND GET MAINT TO CHK THE ACFT. 2) COMPANY SHOULD CALL TAXIING ACFT BACK IF THEY SUSPECTED/NOTICED ANY DAMAGE ON ANY ACFT AT THE ARPT.

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.