Narrative:

Two items which have been of interest on the MD80 fleet were observed on this flight. On arrival; I noticed that the nose gear seemed to be bottoming out on even the smallest cracks on the taxiway surface. I asked maintenance to inspect the nose gear in between flts. They found the strut low; and I could visually see that it was on preflight. First attempts to service the strut failed; as the seal had apparently 'rolled.' after maintenance was performed on the strut it then took nitrogen; and maintenance signed the aircraft off for service and notified maintenance control for follow up servicing. I would encourage all crews to have any suspect struts inspected; as according to the tech I spoke with; an improperly svced strut could lead to a failure of the nose gear to retract. On departure; a moderate amount of mostly clear ice was encountered during climb out. All anti-icing procedures were followed in accordance with the operating manual. After exiting the icing conditions and flying into noticeably warmer air; I noticed some of the ice break off the wipers in pieces rather than melt or sublimate off as icing usually does. I was busy at this time in the climb; but later at cruise I contemplated whether icing breaking off the airframe could be ingested in the engines. On arrival; I requested a precautionary inspection of the engine inlets. On later follow up on these two write-ups; I was told that a very small; blendable nick was found on a blade on each engine. According to the tech; the nicks could have been caused by icing; or they could have already been there for some time. It might be prudent after flying through moderate or severe icing conditions where the icing is observed to rapidly shell off the aircraft to have a precautionary look at the engine intakes on arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 CAPT RPTS NOSE GEAR STRUT SVCING PROB. HE ALSO REPORTS THAT ICE; SHED FROM THE ACFT NOSE DURING CLB OUT; WAS POSSIBLY INGESTED INTO THE ENGS; CAUSING DAMAGE.

Narrative: TWO ITEMS WHICH HAVE BEEN OF INTEREST ON THE MD80 FLEET WERE OBSERVED ON THIS FLT. ON ARR; I NOTICED THAT THE NOSE GEAR SEEMED TO BE BOTTOMING OUT ON EVEN THE SMALLEST CRACKS ON THE TXWY SURFACE. I ASKED MAINT TO INSPECT THE NOSE GEAR IN BETWEEN FLTS. THEY FOUND THE STRUT LOW; AND I COULD VISUALLY SEE THAT IT WAS ON PREFLT. FIRST ATTEMPTS TO SERVICE THE STRUT FAILED; AS THE SEAL HAD APPARENTLY 'ROLLED.' AFTER MAINT WAS PERFORMED ON THE STRUT IT THEN TOOK NITROGEN; AND MAINT SIGNED THE ACFT OFF FOR SVC AND NOTIFIED MAINT CTL FOR FOLLOW UP SVCING. I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL CREWS TO HAVE ANY SUSPECT STRUTS INSPECTED; AS ACCORDING TO THE TECH I SPOKE WITH; AN IMPROPERLY SVCED STRUT COULD LEAD TO A FAILURE OF THE NOSE GEAR TO RETRACT. ON DEP; A MODERATE AMOUNT OF MOSTLY CLR ICE WAS ENCOUNTERED DURING CLB OUT. ALL ANTI-ICING PROCS WERE FOLLOWED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE OPERATING MANUAL. AFTER EXITING THE ICING CONDITIONS AND FLYING INTO NOTICEABLY WARMER AIR; I NOTICED SOME OF THE ICE BREAK OFF THE WIPERS IN PIECES RATHER THAN MELT OR SUBLIMATE OFF AS ICING USUALLY DOES. I WAS BUSY AT THIS TIME IN THE CLB; BUT LATER AT CRUISE I CONTEMPLATED WHETHER ICING BREAKING OFF THE AIRFRAME COULD BE INGESTED IN THE ENGINES. ON ARR; I REQUESTED A PRECAUTIONARY INSPECTION OF THE ENGINE INLETS. ON LATER FOLLOW UP ON THESE TWO WRITE-UPS; I WAS TOLD THAT A VERY SMALL; BLENDABLE NICK WAS FOUND ON A BLADE ON EACH ENGINE. ACCORDING TO THE TECH; THE NICKS COULD HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY ICING; OR THEY COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN THERE FOR SOME TIME. IT MIGHT BE PRUDENT AFTER FLYING THROUGH MODERATE OR SEVERE ICING CONDITIONS WHERE THE ICING IS OBSERVED TO RAPIDLY SHELL OFF THE ACFT TO HAVE A PRECAUTIONARY LOOK AT THE ENGINE INTAKES ON ARR.

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.