A first officer noted right wing damage that was taped over with no identing spot. No entry in logbo...

Attributes
ACN	684216
Time
Date	200601
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : preflight ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 140 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	684216
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : engineering procedure performance deficiency : repair
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Chart Or Publication
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

During preflight of aircraft; I discovered a 6-8 inch piece of speed tape (right wing; aft; between white light and winglet). The tape was covering what looked like a hole or some kind of damage. Reported finding to captain and researched aircraft logbook. Captain and mechanic looked at the tape and said that it is an old discrepancy. Someone had damaged the wing previously and installed speed tape to cover it. Re-examined the maintenance log and there was nothing noted. Called ZZZ maintenance and ZZZ maintenance manager said they knew and that it was a time controled deferred item discrepancy. He could not exactly explain what a time controled deferred item discrepancy was or what it meant. They indicated the aircraft would receive a permanent fix when in for heavy maintenance. It seems odd that we have tape on a wing with no write-up in the log. Does a time controled deferred item discrepancy have to be written up in the log? Is a discrepancy normally carried for 3 months? We were told it was that long ago that the tape was installed. Something doesn't seem right. Is there a good explanation?

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A FO NOTED R WING DAMAGE THAT WAS TAPED OVER WITH NO IDENTING SPOT. NO ENTRY IN LOGBOOK COVERING DAMAGE. MAINT CTL ADVISES ITEM IS A TIME CTLED DEFERRED ITEM.

Narrative: DURING PREFLT OF ACFT; I DISCOVERED A 6-8 INCH PIECE OF SPD TAPE (R WING; AFT; BTWN WHITE LIGHT AND WINGLET). THE TAPE WAS COVERING WHAT LOOKED LIKE A HOLE OR SOME KIND OF DAMAGE. RPTED FINDING TO CAPT AND RESEARCHED ACFT LOGBOOK. CAPT AND MECH LOOKED AT THE TAPE AND SAID THAT IT IS AN OLD DISCREPANCY. SOMEONE HAD DAMAGED THE WING PREVIOUSLY AND INSTALLED SPD TAPE TO COVER IT. RE-EXAMINED THE MAINT LOG AND THERE WAS NOTHING NOTED. CALLED ZZZ MAINT AND ZZZ MAINT MGR SAID THEY KNEW AND THAT IT WAS A TIME CTLED DEFERRED ITEM DISCREPANCY. HE COULD NOT EXACTLY EXPLAIN WHAT A TIME CTLED DEFERRED ITEM DISCREPANCY WAS OR WHAT IT MEANT. THEY INDICATED THE ACFT WOULD RECEIVE A PERMANENT FIX WHEN IN FOR HVY MAINT. IT SEEMS ODD THAT WE HAVE TAPE ON A WING WITH NO WRITE-UP IN THE LOG. DOES A TIME CTLED DEFERRED ITEM DISCREPANCY HAVE TO BE WRITTEN UP IN THE LOG? IS A DISCREPANCY NORMALLY CARRIED FOR 3 MONTHS? WE WERE TOLD IT WAS THAT LONG AGO THAT THE TAPE WAS INSTALLED. SOMETHING DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT. IS THERE A GOOD EXPLANATION?

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.

A first officer noted right wing damage that was taped over with no identing spot. No entry in logbook covering damage. Maintenance control advises item is a time controled deferred item.