Narrative:

While in our break room between flts, the captain was approached by an mke FSDO avionics inspector. He told us there was black tape wrapped around the end of the right pitot tube obstructing the drain hole. The captain verified it and immediately notified our maintenance personnel. After he wrote up the discrepancy, we continued our duties, preparing for the next flight. During this time, the inspector discovered a burned out bulb on the step light on the cabin airstair door (1 of 5). The captain wrote up the discrepancy and got maintenance to replace the bulb. We accepted this aircraft earlier in the day from another crew. We don't know how many crews flew this aircraft who may not have noticed these discrepancies. With the pitot tube already being a darker color of gray, it made the slightly burned black tape difficult to notice. Even though this is not an excuse, this was the circumstance. We also flew the aircraft earlier and did not notice any irregularities. In addition, since it was daytime, the burned out bulb on the airstair door was not discovered in the earlier preflight inspection since it was not needed. To conclude, the recommendations learned from this experience are the necessity to perform a more thorough preflight inspection and looking for the unexpected.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A BE1900 FLC IS WRITTEN UP BY AN FAA INSPECTOR FOR MISSING SOME OLD BLACKENED TAPE ON 1 PITOT TUBE AND 1 BURNED OUT LIGHT BULB ON THE AIRSTAIRS DURING A RAMP CHK AT MKE, WI.

Narrative: WHILE IN OUR BREAK ROOM BTWN FLTS, THE CAPT WAS APCHED BY AN MKE FSDO AVIONICS INSPECTOR. HE TOLD US THERE WAS BLACK TAPE WRAPPED AROUND THE END OF THE R PITOT TUBE OBSTRUCTING THE DRAIN HOLE. THE CAPT VERIFIED IT AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED OUR MAINT PERSONNEL. AFTER HE WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY, WE CONTINUED OUR DUTIES, PREPARING FOR THE NEXT FLT. DURING THIS TIME, THE INSPECTOR DISCOVERED A BURNED OUT BULB ON THE STEP LIGHT ON THE CABIN AIRSTAIR DOOR (1 OF 5). THE CAPT WROTE UP THE DISCREPANCY AND GOT MAINT TO REPLACE THE BULB. WE ACCEPTED THIS ACFT EARLIER IN THE DAY FROM ANOTHER CREW. WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY CREWS FLEW THIS ACFT WHO MAY NOT HAVE NOTICED THESE DISCREPANCIES. WITH THE PITOT TUBE ALREADY BEING A DARKER COLOR OF GRAY, IT MADE THE SLIGHTLY BURNED BLACK TAPE DIFFICULT TO NOTICE. EVEN THOUGH THIS IS NOT AN EXCUSE, THIS WAS THE CIRCUMSTANCE. WE ALSO FLEW THE ACFT EARLIER AND DID NOT NOTICE ANY IRREGULARITIES. IN ADDITION, SINCE IT WAS DAYTIME, THE BURNED OUT BULB ON THE AIRSTAIR DOOR WAS NOT DISCOVERED IN THE EARLIER PREFLT INSPECTION SINCE IT WAS NOT NEEDED. TO CONCLUDE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS LEARNED FROM THIS EXPERIENCE ARE THE NECESSITY TO PERFORM A MORE THOROUGH PREFLT INSPECTION AND LOOKING FOR THE UNEXPECTED.

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.