Narrative:

On the evening of dec/sun/01, I received a voice mail from my assistant chief pilot informing me that an aircraft I had terminated in pvd on nov/fri/01 was found damaged by an originating crew on nov/sat/01. The damage was found on the top of left horizontal stabilizer leading edge and appeared to be due to a bird strike. I verified in my logbook that I operated aircraft X as flight abcd from bwi to pvd on the evening of nov/fri/01 and terminated the aircraft. I tried to recall the details of that evening to the best of my ability. It was the 4TH leg on the 1ST day of a 2-DAY pairing. My captain and I took over the aircraft during a crew change in mco. As the aircraft approached the gate in mco, we watched from the top of the jetway because we were locked out awaiting an operations agent. There was no damage apparent to the horizontal stabilizer from that vantage point. After we were let down the jetway, I completed a normal exterior inspection in daylight conditions. No discrepancies were noted. During the next 4 legs, we did not encounter anything that would indicate a possible bird strike -- no near misses with birds, no noises, bumps, vibrations -- no reports from the cabin crew. We arrived in pvd 10 mins late according to my logbook. I don't recall being in any particular hurry. Upon completing the parking-terminating checklist, I continued with my postflt duties. I completed an exterior inspection with my flashlight. Normally, as I found the end of the left horizontal stabilizer, I verify the condition of the static dissipaters and continue toward the fuselage scanning the stabilizer leading edge from below. I completed the exterior inspection and noted no discrepancies. I believe that I missed the damage due to the location of it relative the leading edge and probably a combination of lighting. The bottom line is that had I been further forward of the stabilizer or thought to specifically look for damage on the top of the leading edge and the lighting allowed, I would have caught this. I will now ensure that when I inspect a leading edge I will be far enough forward to view the top half as well.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B733 CREW WAS ADVISED THAT AN ACFT THEY HAD FLOWN APPROX 2 WKS EARLIER HAD SUSTAINED DAMAGE TO THE HORIZ STABILIZER. ALL EVIDENCE SUGGESTED THE DAMAGE OCCURRING WHILE THE ACFT WAS UNDER THEIR CTL.

Narrative: ON THE EVENING OF DEC/SUN/01, I RECEIVED A VOICE MAIL FROM MY ASSISTANT CHIEF PLT INFORMING ME THAT AN ACFT I HAD TERMINATED IN PVD ON NOV/FRI/01 WAS FOUND DAMAGED BY AN ORIGINATING CREW ON NOV/SAT/01. THE DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE TOP OF L HORIZ STABILIZER LEADING EDGE AND APPEARED TO BE DUE TO A BIRD STRIKE. I VERIFIED IN MY LOGBOOK THAT I OPERATED ACFT X AS FLT ABCD FROM BWI TO PVD ON THE EVENING OF NOV/FRI/01 AND TERMINATED THE ACFT. I TRIED TO RECALL THE DETAILS OF THAT EVENING TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. IT WAS THE 4TH LEG ON THE 1ST DAY OF A 2-DAY PAIRING. MY CAPT AND I TOOK OVER THE ACFT DURING A CREW CHANGE IN MCO. AS THE ACFT APCHED THE GATE IN MCO, WE WATCHED FROM THE TOP OF THE JETWAY BECAUSE WE WERE LOCKED OUT AWAITING AN OPS AGENT. THERE WAS NO DAMAGE APPARENT TO THE HORIZ STABILIZER FROM THAT VANTAGE POINT. AFTER WE WERE LET DOWN THE JETWAY, I COMPLETED A NORMAL EXTERIOR INSPECTION IN DAYLIGHT CONDITIONS. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. DURING THE NEXT 4 LEGS, WE DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANYTHING THAT WOULD INDICATE A POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE -- NO NEAR MISSES WITH BIRDS, NO NOISES, BUMPS, VIBRATIONS -- NO RPTS FROM THE CABIN CREW. WE ARRIVED IN PVD 10 MINS LATE ACCORDING TO MY LOGBOOK. I DON'T RECALL BEING IN ANY PARTICULAR HURRY. UPON COMPLETING THE PARKING-TERMINATING CHKLIST, I CONTINUED WITH MY POSTFLT DUTIES. I COMPLETED AN EXTERIOR INSPECTION WITH MY FLASHLIGHT. NORMALLY, AS I FOUND THE END OF THE L HORIZ STABILIZER, I VERIFY THE CONDITION OF THE STATIC DISSIPATERS AND CONTINUE TOWARD THE FUSELAGE SCANNING THE STABILIZER LEADING EDGE FROM BELOW. I COMPLETED THE EXTERIOR INSPECTION AND NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES. I BELIEVE THAT I MISSED THE DAMAGE DUE TO THE LOCATION OF IT RELATIVE THE LEADING EDGE AND PROBABLY A COMBINATION OF LIGHTING. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT HAD I BEEN FURTHER FORWARD OF THE STABILIZER OR THOUGHT TO SPECIFICALLY LOOK FOR DAMAGE ON THE TOP OF THE LEADING EDGE AND THE LIGHTING ALLOWED, I WOULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS. I WILL NOW ENSURE THAT WHEN I INSPECT A LEADING EDGE I WILL BE FAR ENOUGH FORWARD TO VIEW THE TOP HALF AS WELL.

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.