Narrative:

Upon leveling off at FL370, purser called cockpit with information regarding: a strip of material that had peeled back on the exterior of aircraft, below the emergency exit. I was PF, and was guarding ATC on communication #1. I turned the #2 volume up, listened as the captain and purser discussed issue. The captain inquired how long the strip was when I began listening in, and the answer received was a very vague 'pretty long.' our crew meals were soon to follow, so we discussed the issue with purser face to face when she entered the cockpit. The information sounded as if it was the emergency egress area directly below the overwing exit. We inquired regarding color, texture and length. A hand gesture estimated by the flight attendant appeared to be approximately 8 inches. Prior to her entering the cockpit, I had got out of my seat and put my face on the left side of cockpit window. I was able to see a large majority of the wing which appeared normal. We had experienced no control or unusual vibrations in cockpit and logged the item in the aircraft logbook and ACARS as information received. The flight attendants did indicate that there was a vibration at the left emergency exit row, and we felt that was due to material in slipstream. I was tempted to go back to cabin after using lavatory, but with security concerns, and even heightened security causing cancellations for that weekend, it was not a possible alternative. I inquired of other flight attendants in galley and all descriptions of material were similar. It is my guess that the airflow got beneath this material when the slats were extended, causing it to further peel back. Approach and landing both normal. In debriefing with captain, I recommended that duty flight manager be contacted. I also recommended to captain that we should have an aircraft picture so flight attendants could better describe/identify specific locations on the exterior of the aircraft. Supplemental information from acn 606656: flight attendant called cockpit and said there was a strip of material coming up from an area just outside of the overwing exit on the left side of wing. She said it was about a ft long. I surmised that it was probably the lead off arrows or the anti-skid path that leads passenger off during an evacuate/evacuation.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757-200. PURSER FLT ATTENDANT SAW SOMETHING DETACHED BY THE L OVERWING EXIT.

Narrative: UPON LEVELING OFF AT FL370, PURSER CALLED COCKPIT WITH INFO REGARDING: A STRIP OF MATERIAL THAT HAD PEELED BACK ON THE EXTERIOR OF ACFT, BELOW THE EMER EXIT. I WAS PF, AND WAS GUARDING ATC ON COM #1. I TURNED THE #2 VOLUME UP, LISTENED AS THE CAPT AND PURSER DISCUSSED ISSUE. THE CAPT INQUIRED HOW LONG THE STRIP WAS WHEN I BEGAN LISTENING IN, AND THE ANSWER RECEIVED WAS A VERY VAGUE 'PRETTY LONG.' OUR CREW MEALS WERE SOON TO FOLLOW, SO WE DISCUSSED THE ISSUE WITH PURSER FACE TO FACE WHEN SHE ENTERED THE COCKPIT. THE INFO SOUNDED AS IF IT WAS THE EMER EGRESS AREA DIRECTLY BELOW THE OVERWING EXIT. WE INQUIRED REGARDING COLOR, TEXTURE AND LENGTH. A HAND GESTURE ESTIMATED BY THE FLT ATTENDANT APPEARED TO BE APPROX 8 INCHES. PRIOR TO HER ENTERING THE COCKPIT, I HAD GOT OUT OF MY SEAT AND PUT MY FACE ON THE L SIDE OF COCKPIT WINDOW. I WAS ABLE TO SEE A LARGE MAJORITY OF THE WING WHICH APPEARED NORMAL. WE HAD EXPERIENCED NO CTL OR UNUSUAL VIBRATIONS IN COCKPIT AND LOGGED THE ITEM IN THE ACFT LOGBOOK AND ACARS AS INFO RECEIVED. THE FLT ATTENDANTS DID INDICATE THAT THERE WAS A VIBRATION AT THE L EMER EXIT ROW, AND WE FELT THAT WAS DUE TO MATERIAL IN SLIPSTREAM. I WAS TEMPTED TO GO BACK TO CABIN AFTER USING LAVATORY, BUT WITH SECURITY CONCERNS, AND EVEN HEIGHTENED SECURITY CAUSING CANCELLATIONS FOR THAT WEEKEND, IT WAS NOT A POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE. I INQUIRED OF OTHER FLT ATTENDANTS IN GALLEY AND ALL DESCRIPTIONS OF MATERIAL WERE SIMILAR. IT IS MY GUESS THAT THE AIRFLOW GOT BENEATH THIS MATERIAL WHEN THE SLATS WERE EXTENDED, CAUSING IT TO FURTHER PEEL BACK. APCH AND LNDG BOTH NORMAL. IN DEBRIEFING WITH CAPT, I RECOMMENDED THAT DUTY FLT MGR BE CONTACTED. I ALSO RECOMMENDED TO CAPT THAT WE SHOULD HAVE AN ACFT PICTURE SO FLT ATTENDANTS COULD BETTER DESCRIBE/IDENT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS ON THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 606656: FLT ATTENDANT CALLED COCKPIT AND SAID THERE WAS A STRIP OF MATERIAL COMING UP FROM AN AREA JUST OUTSIDE OF THE OVERWING EXIT ON THE L SIDE OF WING. SHE SAID IT WAS ABOUT A FT LONG. I SURMISED THAT IT WAS PROBABLY THE LEAD OFF ARROWS OR THE ANTI-SKID PATH THAT LEADS PAX OFF DURING AN EVAC.

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.