Narrative:

That morning before passenger boarding; the ground crew xna was attempting to attach their jetbridge. This is the jetbridge that requires a 'bridge' to be placed on top of our boarding stairs which then is attached to the jetbridge to enable passenger boarding. The ground crew was having difficulty with this 'bridge' and accidentally dropped it on top of our stairs. It seems as though the bridge was malfunctioning and it was not going in the correct position. After it was dropped; I notified the captain of what happened and after they pulled the jetbridge away; I proceeded to begin my walkaround inspection. I inspected the area around the door and found no apparent damage. I then got in the cockpit and began putting away my things. The captain mentioned that there appeared to be a mark on the second step of our boarding stairs that might have been caused by the 'bridge.' he said that he did not find adequate enough damage to support calling contract maintenance. As passenger were boarding; I stuck my head out the doorway and shined my flashlight on the stairs and noticed what appeared to be a scuff mark on the anti-slip black surface on the second step. We felt that we couldn't determine the cause and thought it might have been caused by the 'bridge;' but nonetheless; it appeared to be just cosmetic damage. The captain felt no need to write up the discrepancy and no need to call maintenance. We proceeded to fly to our destination and received a 'display cool' caution message in flight and we completed the QRH and switched cooling fans. When we arrived at our destination; we called local maintenance to let them know about our 'caution message.' while they were at the aircraft; the captain asked them to look at the boarding stair to see if there was any damage we missed and if we needed to write up anything as a precaution. On further inspection of the second boarding step; maintenance said there was a slight dent on top of the step and small puncture of the metal. The captain then proceeded to write up the damage and maintenance fixed the problem. Looking back; I think we should have inspected the boarding stairs more thoroughly and called maintenance in xna. Contributing factors to our mistake for not noticing all the damage was poor lighting conditions; lack of sleep (crew was on 3RD and 4TH consecutive cdo (continuous duty overnight); inadequate training on maintenance write-ups. However; in anyway it was not deliberate and this was an honest mistake.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER ACFT BOARDING STAIRS ARE STRUCK BY THE BOARDING BRIDGE; CL65 FLT CREW FAILS TO HAVE MINOR DAMAGE TO THEM INSPECTED BY MAINT PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: THAT MORNING BEFORE PAX BOARDING; THE GND CREW XNA WAS ATTEMPTING TO ATTACH THEIR JETBRIDGE. THIS IS THE JETBRIDGE THAT REQUIRES A 'BRIDGE' TO BE PLACED ON TOP OF OUR BOARDING STAIRS WHICH THEN IS ATTACHED TO THE JETBRIDGE TO ENABLE PAX BOARDING. THE GND CREW WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THIS 'BRIDGE' AND ACCIDENTALLY DROPPED IT ON TOP OF OUR STAIRS. IT SEEMS AS THOUGH THE BRIDGE WAS MALFUNCTIONING AND IT WAS NOT GOING IN THE CORRECT POS. AFTER IT WAS DROPPED; I NOTIFIED THE CAPT OF WHAT HAPPENED AND AFTER THEY PULLED THE JETBRIDGE AWAY; I PROCEEDED TO BEGIN MY WALKAROUND INSPECTION. I INSPECTED THE AREA AROUND THE DOOR AND FOUND NO APPARENT DAMAGE. I THEN GOT IN THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN PUTTING AWAY MY THINGS. THE CAPT MENTIONED THAT THERE APPEARED TO BE A MARK ON THE SECOND STEP OF OUR BOARDING STAIRS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE 'BRIDGE.' HE SAID THAT HE DID NOT FIND ADEQUATE ENOUGH DAMAGE TO SUPPORT CALLING CONTRACT MAINT. AS PAX WERE BOARDING; I STUCK MY HEAD OUT THE DOORWAY AND SHINED MY FLASHLIGHT ON THE STAIRS AND NOTICED WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SCUFF MARK ON THE ANTI-SLIP BLACK SURFACE ON THE SECOND STEP. WE FELT THAT WE COULDN'T DETERMINE THE CAUSE AND THOUGHT IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE 'BRIDGE;' BUT NONETHELESS; IT APPEARED TO BE JUST COSMETIC DAMAGE. THE CAPT FELT NO NEED TO WRITE UP THE DISCREPANCY AND NO NEED TO CALL MAINT. WE PROCEEDED TO FLY TO OUR DEST AND RECEIVED A 'DISPLAY COOL' CAUTION MESSAGE IN FLT AND WE COMPLETED THE QRH AND SWITCHED COOLING FANS. WHEN WE ARRIVED AT OUR DEST; WE CALLED LCL MAINT TO LET THEM KNOW ABOUT OUR 'CAUTION MESSAGE.' WHILE THEY WERE AT THE ACFT; THE CAPT ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT THE BOARDING STAIR TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY DAMAGE WE MISSED AND IF WE NEEDED TO WRITE UP ANYTHING AS A PRECAUTION. ON FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE SECOND BOARDING STEP; MAINT SAID THERE WAS A SLIGHT DENT ON TOP OF THE STEP AND SMALL PUNCTURE OF THE METAL. THE CAPT THEN PROCEEDED TO WRITE UP THE DAMAGE AND MAINT FIXED THE PROB. LOOKING BACK; I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE INSPECTED THE BOARDING STAIRS MORE THOROUGHLY AND CALLED MAINT IN XNA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS TO OUR MISTAKE FOR NOT NOTICING ALL THE DAMAGE WAS POOR LIGHTING CONDITIONS; LACK OF SLEEP (CREW WAS ON 3RD AND 4TH CONSECUTIVE CDO (CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT); INADEQUATE TRAINING ON MAINT WRITE-UPS. HOWEVER; IN ANYWAY IT WAS NOT DELIBERATE AND THIS WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE.

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.