A B757-200 returned to the gate following a passenger discovery during taxi for takeoff that a porti...

Attributes
ACN	686667
Time
Date	200602
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
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	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 21000 flight time type : 2000
ASRS Report	686667
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : 4
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	other other other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

We had a normal pushback and taxi out -- selected flaps 5 degrees for departure. Flight attendant then called cockpit to report a passenger claim that part of the 'wing' was missing. We stopped aircraft -- captain directed me to perform a visual inspection after following security procedure. I confirmed that a portion of the trailing edge inboard flap was missing and that the top half of the flap had delaminated and separated from the aircraft. We returned to the gate. Both the ground crew and myself had performed an exterior check of the aircraft. We did not notice the damage with the flaps retracted at the gate. Passenger noted seeing damage on pushback. The aircraft was removed from service for repair. The majority of the damage was on the top surface of the flap assembly. It was a clear sunny day and the missing piece of the flap was right by the fairing. It is possible that with a combination of the sun in our eyes and a shadowing effect from the fairing combined with the flaps being in the retracted position; the damage was missed on the exterior walkaround.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 RETURNED TO THE GATE FOLLOWING A PAX DISCOVERY DURING TAXI FOR TKOF THAT A PORTION OF THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP WAS MISSING AND THAT THE TOP HALF OF THE FLAP HAD DELAMINATED.

Narrative: WE HAD A NORMAL PUSHBACK AND TAXI OUT -- SELECTED FLAPS 5 DEGS FOR DEP. FLT ATTENDANT THEN CALLED COCKPIT TO RPT A PAX CLAIM THAT PART OF THE 'WING' WAS MISSING. WE STOPPED ACFT -- CAPT DIRECTED ME TO PERFORM A VISUAL INSPECTION AFTER FOLLOWING SECURITY PROC. I CONFIRMED THAT A PORTION OF THE TRAILING EDGE INBOARD FLAP WAS MISSING AND THAT THE TOP HALF OF THE FLAP HAD DELAMINATED AND SEPARATED FROM THE ACFT. WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. BOTH THE GND CREW AND MYSELF HAD PERFORMED AN EXTERIOR CHK OF THE ACFT. WE DID NOT NOTICE THE DAMAGE WITH THE FLAPS RETRACTED AT THE GATE. PAX NOTED SEEING DAMAGE ON PUSHBACK. THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SVC FOR REPAIR. THE MAJORITY OF THE DAMAGE WAS ON THE TOP SURFACE OF THE FLAP ASSEMBLY. IT WAS A CLEAR SUNNY DAY AND THE MISSING PIECE OF THE FLAP WAS RIGHT BY THE FAIRING. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT WITH A COMBINATION OF THE SUN IN OUR EYES AND A SHADOWING EFFECT FROM THE FAIRING COMBINED WITH THE FLAPS BEING IN THE RETRACTED POSITION; THE DAMAGE WAS MISSED ON THE EXTERIOR WALKAROUND.

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 B757-200 returned to the gate following a passenger discovery during taxi for takeoff that a portion of the trailing edge flap was missing and that the top half of the flap had delaminated.