Narrative:

Just prior to pushback at ZZZ, the pushback crew stated that one of the wing walkers was 'looking at something on the aircraft.' when the pushback crew talked to me again for pushback clearance, I asked him what the wing walker was looking at. He stated that it turned out to be 'nothing.' I asked my first officer if he saw anything unusual on his walkaround and his answer was no. We taxied out to the runway and after given a clearance for position and hold on runway 16R, I looked over and saw an ACARS message on the printer only. I tore it off and it read, 'operations reported damage to flap canoe fairing on r-hand side. Pull back in so we can get maintenance to review damage. Do not depart.' needless to say this ACARS message sent to the printer only (no chime and no copy sent to the ACARS screen) was every disconcerting. I asked to leave the runway and we immediately contacted maintenance controller. We did this over the rdi frequency on the ground at ZZZ so that the station could also hear the conversation. After discussion with maintenance controller, he said that after we departed the gate at ZZZ, ramp had called him and told him there was damage to the flap canoe fairing of our aircraft. We immediately returned to the gate and were met by 2 contract mechanics. We looked at the supposed damage and it turned out to missing paint on the fairing. We wrote it up per maintenance controller's direction and the mechanics cleared the item. The breakdown in communication between ZZZ operations and ramp and our flight was simply unacceptable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH RPTED DAMAGE TO A FLAP CANOE FAIRING. ACFT RETURNED TO GATE. NO DAMAGE FOUND ON CHK.

Narrative: JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK AT ZZZ, THE PUSHBACK CREW STATED THAT ONE OF THE WING WALKERS WAS 'LOOKING AT SOMETHING ON THE ACFT.' WHEN THE PUSHBACK CREW TALKED TO ME AGAIN FOR PUSHBACK CLRNC, I ASKED HIM WHAT THE WING WALKER WAS LOOKING AT. HE STATED THAT IT TURNED OUT TO BE 'NOTHING.' I ASKED MY FO IF HE SAW ANYTHING UNUSUAL ON HIS WALKAROUND AND HIS ANSWER WAS NO. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY AND AFTER GIVEN A CLRNC FOR POS AND HOLD ON RWY 16R, I LOOKED OVER AND SAW AN ACARS MESSAGE ON THE PRINTER ONLY. I TORE IT OFF AND IT READ, 'OPS RPTED DAMAGE TO FLAP CANOE FAIRING ON R-HAND SIDE. PULL BACK IN SO WE CAN GET MAINT TO REVIEW DAMAGE. DO NOT DEPART.' NEEDLESS TO SAY THIS ACARS MESSAGE SENT TO THE PRINTER ONLY (NO CHIME AND NO COPY SENT TO THE ACARS SCREEN) WAS EVERY DISCONCERTING. I ASKED TO LEAVE THE RWY AND WE IMMEDIATELY CONTACTED MAINT CTLR. WE DID THIS OVER THE RDI FREQ ON THE GND AT ZZZ SO THAT THE STATION COULD ALSO HEAR THE CONVERSATION. AFTER DISCUSSION WITH MAINT CTLR, HE SAID THAT AFTER WE DEPARTED THE GATE AT ZZZ, RAMP HAD CALLED HIM AND TOLD HIM THERE WAS DAMAGE TO THE FLAP CANOE FAIRING OF OUR ACFT. WE IMMEDIATELY RETURNED TO THE GATE AND WERE MET BY 2 CONTRACT MECHS. WE LOOKED AT THE SUPPOSED DAMAGE AND IT TURNED OUT TO MISSING PAINT ON THE FAIRING. WE WROTE IT UP PER MAINT CTLR'S DIRECTION AND THE MECHS CLRED THE ITEM. THE BREAKDOWN IN COM BTWN ZZZ OPS AND RAMP AND OUR FLT WAS SIMPLY UNACCEPTABLE.

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.