Narrative:

Aircraft arrived at gate. The maintenance controller called in to the maintenance tower of a possible bird strike under the captain's window on the fuselage. When I arrived to the aircraft I only found evidence of old bug splatters. It was at this time an FAA inspector arrived to my gate and asked me if I had a bird strike. I told him where the maintenance controller thought there was one. I showed him the area. He then asked me if I knew what to do. I said that I would have to go look at the maintenance manual. As I cleaned the rest of the bug splatters, the inspector started to walk around the aircraft. When I finished cleaning, I went to a phone to call my lead mechanic to tell him about the FAA being at my aircraft. By the time I came back down from the jetway phone, the inspector said that he found a bird strike on the left inboard flap between the landing gear and the engine. I went to see for myself and saw that it looked to be a bird strike. I told him that I would be right back as to check the maintenance manual. I met my lead coming out to my aircraft. I informed him of the possible bird strike on the flap. As I was in the maintenance area my lead put the item in the logbook. I was able to retrieve the maintenance manual on the computer to read and print the bird strike and lightning damage inspection, but I was unable to due to the computer. I returned to the aircraft to find the inspector in the cabin of the aircraft. He then found a damaged armrest on a passenger seat. I then put that item in the logbook. I returned outside to walk around the aircraft as per the maintenance manual for the bird strike inspection. I closely examined the area of bird impact for any signs of damage. I cleaned the area and made sure of no damage. I then returned to the cabin to repair the seat armrest. I then repaired the seat and signed off the bird strike and the seat. After I returned to the maintenance area to enter my log sheet the inspector wanted to see the inspection paperwork I used to do my inspection. I told him that I was unable to print it, and a fellow technician closed the maintenance manual window on the computer I was using by mistake. It was at this point the inspector became somewhat irritated. I went to another computer to show him the inspection. He then told me to print off a copy for him to look at. It took about 10 mins to print off a copy. This did not help his mood much. After the inspection was finally printed off he began to ask me questions about the inspection that was just done on the aircraft. I answered him in a professional manner. He asked me again about the inspection and specifically asked me if I had dropped the flaps as per the maintenance manual. I said that I don't recall. It was at this point he really took issue. He continued to ask me about the completeness of my inspection. While this was happening my lead technician had the aircraft recalled to the gate. It was at this point that the inspector asked for my duty manager and the lead. When they both arrived we went back to a somewhat quiet area to discuss what had happened. The inspector made it clear to my manager and myself that he was not happy about the way I performed the inspection, and stated that he was going to do what he could to bring about an investigation on me and then asked for my certificate so that he could copy down my information. After copying the information he returned my certificate and said that this matter is not over and then left the area. After he left the area the aircraft in question returned to the gate and another bird strike inspection was completed per the maintenance manual with the flaps being dropped and locked out. The aircraft incurred a 35 min delay for maintenance. Another technician then signed off on the inspection and the aircraft was returned to service.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 ARRIVED WITH RPT OF A BIRD STRIKE UNDER CAPT'S WINDOW. NO BIRD STRIKE FOUND NEAR WINDOW. FAA SAFETY INSPECTOR FOUND BIRD STRIKE ON THE L INBOARD FLAP.

Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED AT GATE. THE MAINT CTLR CALLED IN TO THE MAINT TWR OF A POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE UNDER THE CAPT'S WINDOW ON THE FUSELAGE. WHEN I ARRIVED TO THE ACFT I ONLY FOUND EVIDENCE OF OLD BUG SPLATTERS. IT WAS AT THIS TIME AN FAA INSPECTOR ARRIVED TO MY GATE AND ASKED ME IF I HAD A BIRD STRIKE. I TOLD HIM WHERE THE MAINT CTLR THOUGHT THERE WAS ONE. I SHOWED HIM THE AREA. HE THEN ASKED ME IF I KNEW WHAT TO DO. I SAID THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO LOOK AT THE MAINT MANUAL. AS I CLEANED THE REST OF THE BUG SPLATTERS, THE INSPECTOR STARTED TO WALK AROUND THE ACFT. WHEN I FINISHED CLEANING, I WENT TO A PHONE TO CALL MY LEAD MECH TO TELL HIM ABOUT THE FAA BEING AT MY ACFT. BY THE TIME I CAME BACK DOWN FROM THE JETWAY PHONE, THE INSPECTOR SAID THAT HE FOUND A BIRD STRIKE ON THE L INBOARD FLAP BTWN THE LNDG GEAR AND THE ENG. I WENT TO SEE FOR MYSELF AND SAW THAT IT LOOKED TO BE A BIRD STRIKE. I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD BE RIGHT BACK AS TO CHK THE MAINT MANUAL. I MET MY LEAD COMING OUT TO MY ACFT. I INFORMED HIM OF THE POSSIBLE BIRD STRIKE ON THE FLAP. AS I WAS IN THE MAINT AREA MY LEAD PUT THE ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK. I WAS ABLE TO RETRIEVE THE MAINT MANUAL ON THE COMPUTER TO READ AND PRINT THE BIRD STRIKE AND LIGHTNING DAMAGE INSPECTION, BUT I WAS UNABLE TO DUE TO THE COMPUTER. I RETURNED TO THE ACFT TO FIND THE INSPECTOR IN THE CABIN OF THE ACFT. HE THEN FOUND A DAMAGED ARMREST ON A PAX SEAT. I THEN PUT THAT ITEM IN THE LOGBOOK. I RETURNED OUTSIDE TO WALK AROUND THE ACFT AS PER THE MAINT MANUAL FOR THE BIRD STRIKE INSPECTION. I CLOSELY EXAMINED THE AREA OF BIRD IMPACT FOR ANY SIGNS OF DAMAGE. I CLEANED THE AREA AND MADE SURE OF NO DAMAGE. I THEN RETURNED TO THE CABIN TO REPAIR THE SEAT ARMREST. I THEN REPAIRED THE SEAT AND SIGNED OFF THE BIRD STRIKE AND THE SEAT. AFTER I RETURNED TO THE MAINT AREA TO ENTER MY LOG SHEET THE INSPECTOR WANTED TO SEE THE INSPECTION PAPERWORK I USED TO DO MY INSPECTION. I TOLD HIM THAT I WAS UNABLE TO PRINT IT, AND A FELLOW TECHNICIAN CLOSED THE MAINT MANUAL WINDOW ON THE COMPUTER I WAS USING BY MISTAKE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THE INSPECTOR BECAME SOMEWHAT IRRITATED. I WENT TO ANOTHER COMPUTER TO SHOW HIM THE INSPECTION. HE THEN TOLD ME TO PRINT OFF A COPY FOR HIM TO LOOK AT. IT TOOK ABOUT 10 MINS TO PRINT OFF A COPY. THIS DID NOT HELP HIS MOOD MUCH. AFTER THE INSPECTION WAS FINALLY PRINTED OFF HE BEGAN TO ASK ME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE INSPECTION THAT WAS JUST DONE ON THE ACFT. I ANSWERED HIM IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. HE ASKED ME AGAIN ABOUT THE INSPECTION AND SPECIFICALLY ASKED ME IF I HAD DROPPED THE FLAPS AS PER THE MAINT MANUAL. I SAID THAT I DON'T RECALL. IT WAS AT THIS POINT HE REALLY TOOK ISSUE. HE CONTINUED TO ASK ME ABOUT THE COMPLETENESS OF MY INSPECTION. WHILE THIS WAS HAPPENING MY LEAD TECHNICIAN HAD THE ACFT RECALLED TO THE GATE. IT WAS AT THIS POINT THAT THE INSPECTOR ASKED FOR MY DUTY MGR AND THE LEAD. WHEN THEY BOTH ARRIVED WE WENT BACK TO A SOMEWHAT QUIET AREA TO DISCUSS WHAT HAD HAPPENED. THE INSPECTOR MADE IT CLR TO MY MGR AND MYSELF THAT HE WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT THE WAY I PERFORMED THE INSPECTION, AND STATED THAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WHAT HE COULD TO BRING ABOUT AN INVESTIGATION ON ME AND THEN ASKED FOR MY CERTIFICATE SO THAT HE COULD COPY DOWN MY INFO. AFTER COPYING THE INFO HE RETURNED MY CERTIFICATE AND SAID THAT THIS MATTER IS NOT OVER AND THEN LEFT THE AREA. AFTER HE LEFT THE AREA THE ACFT IN QUESTION RETURNED TO THE GATE AND ANOTHER BIRD STRIKE INSPECTION WAS COMPLETED PER THE MAINT MANUAL WITH THE FLAPS BEING DROPPED AND LOCKED OUT. THE ACFT INCURRED A 35 MIN DELAY FOR MAINT. ANOTHER TECHNICIAN THEN SIGNED OFF ON THE INSPECTION AND THE ACFT WAS RETURNED TO SVC.

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.