Narrative:

On oct/sat/99, on a flight from ZZZ to lax, we were in the aircraft preflight phase. 10 mins before departure, I had already done my cockpit preparation and all system were normal. I was the first officer on the flight. My cockpit preparation was completed 30 mins prior. The ground handler came up to the flight deck. He was talking about the air carrier broken B727 next to us. It was on a mechanical and would not be leaving for awhile. In his hand he had a temperature probe. I asked him what the probe was from and he replied from the broken airplane in a joking tone. I then said the airplane over there must not be in good shape at all. He agreed. He also joked about some airplanes break a lot. I then got up and went to the bathroom. When I came back into the cockpit the ground handler was leaving. While taxiing out, all system were normal. We departed ZZZ. On climb out. The tat (total air temperature) was +50 degrees C. This temperature is normal on the ground before takeoff, but in-flight normal is +10 degrees C to +20 degrees C on climb out. I pointed this out to the captain I also noticed a light to the left. This is the windshear inoperative light and it was on. This light was pointed out to the captain also. Both were put into the logbook and maintenance was notified on arrival in lax. As the captain was speaking to the maintenance person, I got up to do my required duties. While the 3 of us were waiting for transportation to our operations, the captain noticed that the temperature probe was missing, I then thought back to what we were joking about in ZZZ. When we were talking about a temperature probe falling off it was not a joke, he was serious. He meant our airplane. This is no joking manner. This is people's lives. With the confusion of the broken air carrier B727 I thought he meant that air carrier B727. While all of us were joking we all misunderstood. This is a very serious safety issue. The ramper should have never been joking about aircraft parts and maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B727-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE TOTAL AIR TEMP PROBE MISSING. DAMAGE INCURRED BY GND VEHICLE UNDISCOVERED IN PREFLT CHK.

Narrative: ON OCT/SAT/99, ON A FLT FROM ZZZ TO LAX, WE WERE IN THE ACFT PREFLT PHASE. 10 MINS BEFORE DEP, I HAD ALREADY DONE MY COCKPIT PREPARATION AND ALL SYS WERE NORMAL. I WAS THE FO ON THE FLT. MY COCKPIT PREPARATION WAS COMPLETED 30 MINS PRIOR. THE GND HANDLER CAME UP TO THE FLT DECK. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE ACR BROKEN B727 NEXT TO US. IT WAS ON A MECHANICAL AND WOULD NOT BE LEAVING FOR AWHILE. IN HIS HAND HE HAD A TEMP PROBE. I ASKED HIM WHAT THE PROBE WAS FROM AND HE REPLIED FROM THE BROKEN AIRPLANE IN A JOKING TONE. I THEN SAID THE AIRPLANE OVER THERE MUST NOT BE IN GOOD SHAPE AT ALL. HE AGREED. HE ALSO JOKED ABOUT SOME AIRPLANES BREAK A LOT. I THEN GOT UP AND WENT TO THE BATHROOM. WHEN I CAME BACK INTO THE COCKPIT THE GND HANDLER WAS LEAVING. WHILE TAXIING OUT, ALL SYS WERE NORMAL. WE DEPARTED ZZZ. ON CLBOUT. THE TAT (TOTAL AIR TEMP) WAS +50 DEGS C. THIS TEMP IS NORMAL ON THE GND BEFORE TKOF, BUT INFLT NORMAL IS +10 DEGS C TO +20 DEGS C ON CLBOUT. I POINTED THIS OUT TO THE CAPT I ALSO NOTICED A LIGHT TO THE L. THIS IS THE WINDSHEAR INOP LIGHT AND IT WAS ON. THIS LIGHT WAS POINTED OUT TO THE CAPT ALSO. BOTH WERE PUT INTO THE LOGBOOK AND MAINT WAS NOTIFIED ON ARR IN LAX. AS THE CAPT WAS SPEAKING TO THE MAINT PERSON, I GOT UP TO DO MY REQUIRED DUTIES. WHILE THE 3 OF US WERE WAITING FOR TRANSPORTATION TO OUR OPS, THE CAPT NOTICED THAT THE TEMP PROBE WAS MISSING, I THEN THOUGHT BACK TO WHAT WE WERE JOKING ABOUT IN ZZZ. WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT A TEMP PROBE FALLING OFF IT WAS NOT A JOKE, HE WAS SERIOUS. HE MEANT OUR AIRPLANE. THIS IS NO JOKING MANNER. THIS IS PEOPLE'S LIVES. WITH THE CONFUSION OF THE BROKEN ACR B727 I THOUGHT HE MEANT THAT ACR B727. WHILE ALL OF US WERE JOKING WE ALL MISUNDERSTOOD. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE. THE RAMPER SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN JOKING ABOUT ACFT PARTS AND MAINT.

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.