A fokker 100 inspected by FAA safety inspector reported small red stripes missing from lower surface...

Attributes
ACN	421609
Time
Date	199812
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Navigation In Use	Other
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
ASRS Report	421609
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
ASRS Report	421610
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other Other
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

XA00Z. Location: ZZZ ramp. FAA maintenance inspectors advised small red stripes were missing from underside of flap. He expressed concern that the flight crew had missed it on the walkaround. Until that moment, I had no idea that they were even there and have no recollection of ever being told of their existence or function. Maintenance personnel at the station corrected the problem before further flight, but it had been covered up in a paint shop and has probably been flying quite a while like that. If an inspector has added these stripes to his hit list of things to look for, we need a message and some information on the markings unless it's there and I have just missed it. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the captain reporter stated that engineering was advised of the FAA inspector's findings on the missing or taped over stripes and was advised the stripes are for alignment of the flap tracks on initial flap installation. The reporter said the stripes were taped over in the paint shop and then painted over. The reporter said the stripes are not part of the preflight check. Callback conversation with reporter acn 421610 revealed the following information: first officer reporter stated the stripes were not part of the preflight check and was not sure of their purpose. The reporter said the stripes probably had some maintenance function but was uncertain.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FOKKER 100 INSPECTED BY FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR RPTED SMALL RED STRIPES MISSING FROM LOWER SURFACE OF THE TRAILING EDGE FLAPS ACTUALLY TAPED AND PAINTED OVER. INSPECTOR CONCERNED THAT FLC MISSED THIS ITEM ON THE PREFLT CHK.

Narrative: XA00Z. LOCATION: ZZZ RAMP. FAA MAINT INSPECTORS ADVISED SMALL RED STRIPES WERE MISSING FROM UNDERSIDE OF FLAP. HE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE FLC HAD MISSED IT ON THE WALKAROUND. UNTIL THAT MOMENT, I HAD NO IDEA THAT THEY WERE EVEN THERE AND HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF EVER BEING TOLD OF THEIR EXISTENCE OR FUNCTION. MAINT PERSONNEL AT THE STATION CORRECTED THE PROB BEFORE FURTHER FLT, BUT IT HAD BEEN COVERED UP IN A PAINT SHOP AND HAS PROBABLY BEEN FLYING QUITE A WHILE LIKE THAT. IF AN INSPECTOR HAS ADDED THESE STRIPES TO HIS HIT LIST OF THINGS TO LOOK FOR, WE NEED A MESSAGE AND SOME INFO ON THE MARKINGS UNLESS IT'S THERE AND I HAVE JUST MISSED IT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE CAPT RPTR STATED THAT ENGINEERING WAS ADVISED OF THE FAA INSPECTOR'S FINDINGS ON THE MISSING OR TAPED OVER STRIPES AND WAS ADVISED THE STRIPES ARE FOR ALIGNMENT OF THE FLAP TRACKS ON INITIAL FLAP INSTALLATION. THE RPTR SAID THE STRIPES WERE TAPED OVER IN THE PAINT SHOP AND THEN PAINTED OVER. THE RPTR SAID THE STRIPES ARE NOT PART OF THE PREFLT CHK. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 421610 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: FO RPTR STATED THE STRIPES WERE NOT PART OF THE PREFLT CHK AND WAS NOT SURE OF THEIR PURPOSE. THE RPTR SAID THE STRIPES PROBABLY HAD SOME MAINT FUNCTION BUT WAS UNCERTAIN.

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.

A fokker 100 inspected by FAA safety inspector reported small red stripes missing from lower surface of the trailing edge flaps actually taped and painted over. Inspector concerned that flight crew missed this item on the preflight check.