Flight crew of B737-300 incorrectly advised aircraft part recovered from landing runway was not from...

Attributes
ACN	709282
Time
Date	200609
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : bur.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	landing : roll
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 203
ASRS Report	709282
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	other personnel other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Flight Crew Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

Upon landing in bur and taxiing to the gate a ramper came into the cockpit and said a piece may have fallen off our airplane on landing. I went down to the ramp to look at the airplane while airport operations retrieved the item from the runway. After doing a complete walkaround; I found nothing missing. Airport operations then brought the item to me. The item did not look familiar but I assumed it was from our aircraft. I was about to take it from him when he stated that piece was not off our aircraft; it was from a challenger jet that was elsewhere on the airport. He stated this twice to me. Since he was adamant about it not being off our jet and I found nothing missing; we continued 2 more legs. When we landed; maintenance came aboard and stated we lost a piece in bur. They had to lower the flaps to see where it had come off. We swapped aircraft so they could work on our aircraft. With the flaps in the up position on my walkaround in bur; I could not see where the piece was missing; and with airport operations certain it was not off our aircraft; I continued on our day. The only thing would have been to call maintenance to the aircraft to confirm the piece was not off our jet.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B737-300 INCORRECTLY ADVISED ACFT PART RECOVERED FROM LNDG RWY WAS NOT FROM THEIR ACFT. CONTINUED 2 MORE LEGS UNTIL NOTIFIED BY MAINT IT WAS FROM THEIR ACFT. LOCATION OF MISSING PART WAS OBSCURED DURING WALKAROUND INSPECTION BY RETRACTED FLAPS.

Narrative: UPON LNDG IN BUR AND TAXIING TO THE GATE A RAMPER CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND SAID A PIECE MAY HAVE FALLEN OFF OUR AIRPLANE ON LNDG. I WENT DOWN TO THE RAMP TO LOOK AT THE AIRPLANE WHILE ARPT OPS RETRIEVED THE ITEM FROM THE RWY. AFTER DOING A COMPLETE WALKAROUND; I FOUND NOTHING MISSING. ARPT OPS THEN BROUGHT THE ITEM TO ME. THE ITEM DID NOT LOOK FAMILIAR BUT I ASSUMED IT WAS FROM OUR ACFT. I WAS ABOUT TO TAKE IT FROM HIM WHEN HE STATED THAT PIECE WAS NOT OFF OUR ACFT; IT WAS FROM A CHALLENGER JET THAT WAS ELSEWHERE ON THE ARPT. HE STATED THIS TWICE TO ME. SINCE HE WAS ADAMANT ABOUT IT NOT BEING OFF OUR JET AND I FOUND NOTHING MISSING; WE CONTINUED 2 MORE LEGS. WHEN WE LANDED; MAINT CAME ABOARD AND STATED WE LOST A PIECE IN BUR. THEY HAD TO LOWER THE FLAPS TO SEE WHERE IT HAD COME OFF. WE SWAPPED ACFT SO THEY COULD WORK ON OUR ACFT. WITH THE FLAPS IN THE UP POS ON MY WALKAROUND IN BUR; I COULD NOT SEE WHERE THE PIECE WAS MISSING; AND WITH ARPT OPS CERTAIN IT WAS NOT OFF OUR ACFT; I CONTINUED ON OUR DAY. THE ONLY THING WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CALL MAINT TO THE ACFT TO CONFIRM THE PIECE WAS NOT OFF OUR JET.

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.

Flight crew of B737-300 incorrectly advised aircraft part recovered from landing runway was not from their aircraft. Continued 2 more legs until notified by maintenance it was from their aircraft. Location of missing part was obscured during walkaround inspection by retracted flaps.