Narrative:

A thunderstorm event with 80 KT wind gusts which downed power lines; trees; etc. As the captain crossed the ramp to flight operations; it was covered in pea-sized gravel. The first officer; on preflight; found bb-sized pebbles in the tailpipe of both engines which were written up. After the mechanic fished out several pebbles from behind the blades at the rear of the engine and cleaned the debris from the tailpipe; he motored both engines. Upon checking the tailpipe after being motored; more pebbles from the engine were seen in the tailpipe. The mechanic told the captain that this was not good. Upon contacting the engine desk; the captain overheard the mechanic tell them that we were in trouble. After talking to the engine desk; the mechanic told the captain that the aircraft engines were to be motored 3 more times to clear the debris; followed by an engine run-up; then signed off if good. The captain contacted the engine desk; via the dispatcher; to express his concern about the damage the debris may have caused and asked why the engine was not being borescoped. The engine desk stated that he wanted to 'make a good business decision' that was safe. He was reluctant to call it an ingestion event since the engines were not running. He said he would contact engineering to see if the engines needed to be scoped since this was an unusual event. Engineering and the desk did come up with a plan to inspect the engines. It is the belief of the captain that if he had not pushed for further inspection of the engines; maintenance would not have followed proper procedures. This is my second suspected FOD of an engine(south) in 1 week. For both events; I am concerned about maintenance's lack of willingness to call it a FOD event and follow the appropriate procedures to ensure the safety of air carrier aircraft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AFTER A THUNDERSTORM EVENT; AN A320 FLT CREW DISCOVERS PEA SIZED GRAVEL IN BOTH ENGINE TAILPIPES. MAINTENANCE IS RELUCTANT TO INSPECT THE ENGINES AND CALL THE INCIDENT A FOD EVENT.

Narrative: A TSTM EVENT WITH 80 KT WIND GUSTS WHICH DOWNED POWER LINES; TREES; ETC. AS THE CAPT CROSSED THE RAMP TO FLT OPS; IT WAS COVERED IN PEA-SIZED GRAVEL. THE FO; ON PREFLT; FOUND BB-SIZED PEBBLES IN THE TAILPIPE OF BOTH ENGS WHICH WERE WRITTEN UP. AFTER THE MECH FISHED OUT SEVERAL PEBBLES FROM BEHIND THE BLADES AT THE REAR OF THE ENG AND CLEANED THE DEBRIS FROM THE TAILPIPE; HE MOTORED BOTH ENGS. UPON CHKING THE TAILPIPE AFTER BEING MOTORED; MORE PEBBLES FROM THE ENG WERE SEEN IN THE TAILPIPE. THE MECH TOLD THE CAPT THAT THIS WAS NOT GOOD. UPON CONTACTING THE ENG DESK; THE CAPT OVERHEARD THE MECH TELL THEM THAT WE WERE IN TROUBLE. AFTER TALKING TO THE ENG DESK; THE MECH TOLD THE CAPT THAT THE ACFT ENGS WERE TO BE MOTORED 3 MORE TIMES TO CLR THE DEBRIS; FOLLOWED BY AN ENG RUN-UP; THEN SIGNED OFF IF GOOD. THE CAPT CONTACTED THE ENG DESK; VIA THE DISPATCHER; TO EXPRESS HIS CONCERN ABOUT THE DAMAGE THE DEBRIS MAY HAVE CAUSED AND ASKED WHY THE ENG WAS NOT BEING BORESCOPED. THE ENG DESK STATED THAT HE WANTED TO 'MAKE A GOOD BUSINESS DECISION' THAT WAS SAFE. HE WAS RELUCTANT TO CALL IT AN INGESTION EVENT SINCE THE ENGS WERE NOT RUNNING. HE SAID HE WOULD CONTACT ENGINEERING TO SEE IF THE ENGS NEEDED TO BE SCOPED SINCE THIS WAS AN UNUSUAL EVENT. ENGINEERING AND THE DESK DID COME UP WITH A PLAN TO INSPECT THE ENGS. IT IS THE BELIEF OF THE CAPT THAT IF HE HAD NOT PUSHED FOR FURTHER INSPECTION OF THE ENGS; MAINT WOULD NOT HAVE FOLLOWED PROPER PROCS. THIS IS MY SECOND SUSPECTED FOD OF AN ENG(S) IN 1 WK. FOR BOTH EVENTS; I AM CONCERNED ABOUT MAINT'S LACK OF WILLINGNESS TO CALL IT A FOD EVENT AND FOLLOW THE APPROPRIATE PROCS TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF ACR ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.