Narrative:

During preflight on aircraft, first officer found red tape over one of our static ports. We also found main tank circuit breakers pulled. I realize our good first officer's find most items, but it is far too common to find major problems when our aircraft are returned to the line after maintenance. In fact, it has been a common joke to watch things extra carefully when the aircraft comes out. A B757 crashed because a static port was taped over just like ours. Yesterday morning was an IMC morning when we took off. The situation could have been disastrous if first officer had not discovered the tape on this rainy, dark, early am departure. My kudos go to him, but please let maintenance know how dangerous it is to give unprepared aircraft to our pilots.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD S80 FO DISCOVER TAPE OVER 1 STATIC PORT AND MAIN FUEL TANK CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED DURING PREFLT WALKAROUND INSPECTION. ACFT HAD JUST BEEN RETURNED TO THE LINE FROM MAINT.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT ON ACFT, FO FOUND RED TAPE OVER ONE OF OUR STATIC PORTS. WE ALSO FOUND MAIN TANK CIRCUIT BREAKERS PULLED. I REALIZE OUR GOOD FO'S FIND MOST ITEMS, BUT IT IS FAR TOO COMMON TO FIND MAJOR PROBS WHEN OUR ACFT ARE RETURNED TO THE LINE AFTER MAINT. IN FACT, IT HAS BEEN A COMMON JOKE TO WATCH THINGS EXTRA CAREFULLY WHEN THE ACFT COMES OUT. A B757 CRASHED BECAUSE A STATIC PORT WAS TAPED OVER JUST LIKE OURS. YESTERDAY MORNING WAS AN IMC MORNING WHEN WE TOOK OFF. THE SIT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS IF FO HAD NOT DISCOVERED THE TAPE ON THIS RAINY, DARK, EARLY AM DEP. MY KUDOS GO TO HIM, BUT PLEASE LET MAINT KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO GIVE UNPREPARED ACFT TO OUR PLTS.

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.