Narrative:

Approximately 300 miles west of ZZZ at FL350 we were informed by the purser that a passenger was reporting part of the aluminum on top of the wing was peeling back. We had a deadheading 757 captain in the cabin and he was instructed to view the wing and report back. He came into the cockpit and reported a fairly large section of the fairing covering the leading edge slat between the fuselage and right engine was disintegrating. I am an lca and was performing a 24 month random line check on the captain. I went back to observe the wing and found a 12 in X 8 in X 2 in deep section above the inboard leading edge slat ragged and getting bigger. I also observed that as a small piece of aluminum would peel off; there was a distinct buffet in the airplane due to the disruptive flow over the wing. I went back to the cockpit; reported what I saw to the crew and then contacted maintenance control and dispatch myself to allow the captain and first officer prepare a course of action with a most likely divert. Dispatch; maintenance control; myself and the crew agreed to divert into ZZZ which was now about 30 minutes away. Maintenance control believed that there should be no controllability issues upon extension of the leading edge slats during approach. The 3 crew members in the cockpit along with the deadheading captain agreed upon a course of action which included stationing the deadheading captain in the window seat next to the damaged leading edge. He reported via interphone to the cockpit as to what he was seeing with the slat extension. Other than a small buffet when flaps 1 were selected; the approach and landing were all normal and uneventful.supplemental information from acn 753954: the deadheading pilot and the lca made for flawless clear and timely decision making.callback conversation with reporter acn 753958 revealed the following information: reporter stated a portion of the right inboard slat trailing edge did in fact separate from the slat and was continuing to unravel as they diverted to the nearest airport.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757-200 ACFT PAX NOTICED R INBOARD LEADING EDGE SLAT; CENTER TRAILING EDGE SKIN AND HONEYCOMB SECTION SEPARATING FROM THE SLAT IN FLT. EMER DECLARED.

Narrative: APPROX 300 MILES W OF ZZZ AT FL350 WE WERE INFORMED BY THE PURSER THAT A PAX WAS RPTING PART OF THE ALUMINUM ON TOP OF THE WING WAS PEELING BACK. WE HAD A DEADHEADING 757 CAPT IN THE CABIN AND HE WAS INSTRUCTED TO VIEW THE WING AND RPT BACK. HE CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND RPTED A FAIRLY LARGE SECTION OF THE FAIRING COVERING THE LEADING EDGE SLAT BETWEEN THE FUSELAGE AND R ENGINE WAS DISINTEGRATING. I AM AN LCA AND WAS PERFORMING A 24 MONTH RANDOM LINE CHECK ON THE CAPT. I WENT BACK TO OBSERVE THE WING AND FOUND A 12 IN X 8 IN X 2 IN DEEP SECTION ABOVE THE INBOARD LEADING EDGE SLAT RAGGED AND GETTING BIGGER. I ALSO OBSERVED THAT AS A SMALL PIECE OF ALUMINUM WOULD PEEL OFF; THERE WAS A DISTINCT BUFFET IN THE AIRPLANE DUE TO THE DISRUPTIVE FLOW OVER THE WING. I WENT BACK TO THE COCKPIT; RPTED WHAT I SAW TO THE CREW AND THEN CONTACTED MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH MYSELF TO ALLOW THE CAPT AND FO PREPARE A COURSE OF ACTION WITH A MOST LIKELY DIVERT. DISPATCH; MAINT CTL; MYSELF AND THE CREW AGREED TO DIVERT INTO ZZZ WHICH WAS NOW ABOUT 30 MINUTES AWAY. MAINT CTL BELIEVED THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO CONTROLLABILITY ISSUES UPON EXTENSION OF THE LEADING EDGE SLATS DURING APCH. THE 3 CREW MEMBERS IN THE COCKPIT ALONG WITH THE DEADHEADING CAPT AGREED UPON A COURSE OF ACTION WHICH INCLUDED STATIONING THE DEADHEADING CAPT IN THE WINDOW SEAT NEXT TO THE DAMAGED LEADING EDGE. HE RPTED VIA INTERPHONE TO THE COCKPIT AS TO WHAT HE WAS SEEING WITH THE SLAT EXTENSION. OTHER THAN A SMALL BUFFET WHEN FLAPS 1 WERE SELECTED; THE APCH AND LNDG WERE ALL NORMAL AND UNEVENTFUL.SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 753954: THE DEADHEADING PLT AND THE LCA MADE FOR FLAWLESS CLR AND TIMELY DECISION MAKING.CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN 753958 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED A PORTION OF THE R INBOARD SLAT TRAILING EDGE DID IN FACT SEPARATE FROM THE SLAT AND WAS CONTINUING TO UNRAVEL AS THEY DIVERTED TO THE NEAREST ARPT.

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.