Narrative:

As captain of flight XXX on jan/xa/02, our air carrier airline's MD80 received damage from an impact with a catering truck at lax gate xx. The aircraft was parked at the gate and collision occurred after the first officer had completed his exterior preflight inspection. We, as a crew, had no report of, or knowledge of, the truck hitting the aircraft. The flight was full and we had no passenger, flight attendants or any ground personnel report the collision. The flight from lax to cyvr was operated normally as was the scheduled return flight YYY cyvr to lax. The damage had not been noticed on preflight of aft at cyvr, nor had any information been forwarded to crew at vancouver, back course. Upon return of flight YYY to lax, no company personnel met the aircraft on arrival and there was still no indication that anything was amiss. Upon my return to my home, the company MD80 flight manager had phoned to fill in what they knew about the incident. It was all news to me. Apparently, the aircraft had sustained some damage to the wing's leading edge, which should have been noticed and grounded the aircraft on first officer's preflight inspection at cyvr. This would have prevented any further flight prior to maintenance inspections. Supplemental information from acn 534172: we flew back to lax. At this time, the catering company and the airline discovered the dent and it was repaired. In the future, I will do a more close inspection of the wing -- especially in and around the areas where the service vehicles are close to the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN MD80 ACFT IS HIT ON THE FORWARD L LEADING EDGE SLAT AND IS FLOWN ON 2 LEGS BEFORE MAINT NOTES THE DAMAGE THAT HAD BEEN INFLICTED BY A COMMISSARY TRUCK AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: AS CAPT OF FLT XXX ON JAN/XA/02, OUR ACR AIRLINE'S MD80 RECEIVED DAMAGE FROM AN IMPACT WITH A CATERING TRUCK AT LAX GATE XX. THE ACFT WAS PARKED AT THE GATE AND COLLISION OCCURRED AFTER THE FO HAD COMPLETED HIS EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION. WE, AS A CREW, HAD NO RPT OF, OR KNOWLEDGE OF, THE TRUCK HITTING THE ACFT. THE FLT WAS FULL AND WE HAD NO PAX, FLT ATTENDANTS OR ANY GND PERSONNEL RPT THE COLLISION. THE FLT FROM LAX TO CYVR WAS OPERATED NORMALLY AS WAS THE SCHEDULED RETURN FLT YYY CYVR TO LAX. THE DAMAGE HAD NOT BEEN NOTICED ON PREFLT OF AFT AT CYVR, NOR HAD ANY INFO BEEN FORWARDED TO CREW AT VANCOUVER, BC. UPON RETURN OF FLT YYY TO LAX, NO COMPANY PERSONNEL MET THE ACFT ON ARR AND THERE WAS STILL NO INDICATION THAT ANYTHING WAS AMISS. UPON MY RETURN TO MY HOME, THE COMPANY MD80 FLT MGR HAD PHONED TO FILL IN WHAT THEY KNEW ABOUT THE INCIDENT. IT WAS ALL NEWS TO ME. APPARENTLY, THE ACFT HAD SUSTAINED SOME DAMAGE TO THE WING'S LEADING EDGE, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN NOTICED AND GNDED THE ACFT ON FO'S PREFLT INSPECTION AT CYVR. THIS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ANY FURTHER FLT PRIOR TO MAINT INSPECTIONS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 534172: WE FLEW BACK TO LAX. AT THIS TIME, THE CATERING COMPANY AND THE AIRLINE DISCOVERED THE DENT AND IT WAS REPAIRED. IN THE FUTURE, I WILL DO A MORE CLOSE INSPECTION OF THE WING -- ESPECIALLY IN AND AROUND THE AREAS WHERE THE SVC VEHICLES ARE CLOSE TO THE ACFT.

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.