Narrative:

I was to reposition an aircraft to our maintenance base in preparation for its last flight to the 'bone yard.' our company had lost its contract and on this day we were losing service to 3 cities and were retiring 2 planes. When I arrived at the airport, I was informed by my first officer that the aircraft had been written on by numerous employees, in marker, a farewell to the aircraft. I did a thorough walkaround of the aircraft, paying close attention to the mechanical status as opposed to actual writing on the plane. I found no mechanical discrepancies. I then did a preflight of the interior of the aircraft looking for anymore writing or anything that may appear out of the ordinary. I found no discrepancies. I was uncertain whether or not the writing on the exterior of the aircraft was worthy of a maintenance discrepancy. Instead, I made a notation in the logbook 'numerous markings found on exterior of aircraft.' the flight was uneventful. The next day I was informed by the chief pilot that the fbi, FAA and local police were all investigating the 'vandalism' of the aircraft. Looking back on the series of events that took place, I realize there were problems with accepting this aircraft for flight. Although the writing was meant to be in good fun, the aircraft was still tampered with, and that is a federal offense. Furthermore, the plane could have been sabotaged and the preflight inspection may not have been able to determine this. A maintenance inspection was justified. I have learned that I should have exercised better judgement in accepting this aircraft for flight. Every flight needs to be taken seriously, whether a reposition flight or a revenue flight, the first flight of an aircraft or its last. I should have notified the chief pilot and had the aircraft thoroughly inspected by maintenance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A PIC OF A REPOSITION FLT ON A BAE-ATP NOTES NUMEROUS MARKER WRITINGS ON THE ACFT PRIOR TO FLT. HE MAKES A NOTE OF SAME IN LOGBOOK AND DEPARTS WITHOUT MAINT ACTION FROM ORD, IL.

Narrative: I WAS TO REPOSITION AN ACFT TO OUR MAINT BASE IN PREPARATION FOR ITS LAST FLT TO THE 'BONE YARD.' OUR COMPANY HAD LOST ITS CONTRACT AND ON THIS DAY WE WERE LOSING SVC TO 3 CITIES AND WERE RETIRING 2 PLANES. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE ARPT, I WAS INFORMED BY MY FO THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN WRITTEN ON BY NUMEROUS EMPLOYEES, IN MARKER, A FAREWELL TO THE ACFT. I DID A THOROUGH WALKAROUND OF THE ACFT, PAYING CLOSE ATTN TO THE MECHANICAL STATUS AS OPPOSED TO ACTUAL WRITING ON THE PLANE. I FOUND NO MECHANICAL DISCREPANCIES. I THEN DID A PREFLT OF THE INTERIOR OF THE ACFT LOOKING FOR ANYMORE WRITING OR ANYTHING THAT MAY APPEAR OUT OF THE ORDINARY. I FOUND NO DISCREPANCIES. I WAS UNCERTAIN WHETHER OR NOT THE WRITING ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT WAS WORTHY OF A MAINT DISCREPANCY. INSTEAD, I MADE A NOTATION IN THE LOGBOOK 'NUMEROUS MARKINGS FOUND ON EXTERIOR OF ACFT.' THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. THE NEXT DAY I WAS INFORMED BY THE CHIEF PLT THAT THE FBI, FAA AND LCL POLICE WERE ALL INVESTIGATING THE 'VANDALISM' OF THE ACFT. LOOKING BACK ON THE SERIES OF EVENTS THAT TOOK PLACE, I REALIZE THERE WERE PROBS WITH ACCEPTING THIS ACFT FOR FLT. ALTHOUGH THE WRITING WAS MEANT TO BE IN GOOD FUN, THE ACFT WAS STILL TAMPERED WITH, AND THAT IS A FEDERAL OFFENSE. FURTHERMORE, THE PLANE COULD HAVE BEEN SABOTAGED AND THE PREFLT INSPECTION MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DETERMINE THIS. A MAINT INSPECTION WAS JUSTIFIED. I HAVE LEARNED THAT I SHOULD HAVE EXERCISED BETTER JUDGEMENT IN ACCEPTING THIS ACFT FOR FLT. EVERY FLT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY, WHETHER A REPOSITION FLT OR A REVENUE FLT, THE FIRST FLT OF AN ACFT OR ITS LAST. I SHOULD HAVE NOTIFIED THE CHIEF PLT AND HAD THE ACFT THOROUGHLY INSPECTED BY 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.