Narrative:

The aircraft had a deer strike earlier that morning before sunrise. We understood the crew had aborted and inspected the aircraft before flying to houston (iah). The crew had contacted the director of operations on what further to do. Maintenance had inspected and signed off the aircraft airworthy for further service. First officer and I inspected the aircraft with special attention to the nose wheel area and forward fuselage before flight. We found deer hairs and splatterings of blood inside the wheel well. The landing light was intact, no hydraulic leaks or no bending of forward airframe. I personally have over 2300 hours in type and have performed hundreds of inspections over the last 3 yrs with special attention to this one. In my professional opinion I believe the aircraft showed no signs of damage at this time. I am also confident that our crews, if there had been damage, would not have flown such an aircraft, and our conservative maintenance department would not have dispatched such an aircraft with damage. My theory is the deer strike may have weakened it and additional lndgs may have eventually showed damage after many lndgs. I was drafted to ferry this damaged aircraft to oklahoma city under FAA and company supervision. In looking at the aircraft, it was noticeable right away that the plane had been damaged as we drove up and inspected it. This damage would have been hard to miss after the deer strike. The aircraft showed damage to the nose wheel area and forward fuselage. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: aircraft returned to the mfg for repairs. They are convinced the damage to the nose area had to be caused by a hard landing. Estimated cost of repairs, $19000. 9 pilots had flown the aircraft after the deer strike and none saw damage as indicated when the aircraft was taken out of service. During the operation of the aircraft maintenance had declared the aircraft airworthy before each operation. After further review the FAA is not taking action against these pilots. One pilot, however, person involved in the original deer strike, is being put on the carpet for flying the aircraft before maintenance had actually checked the aircraft. Feeling is the phone release was not adequate.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT FLOWN AFTER DEER STRIKE WITHOUT PHYSICAL MAINTENANCE INSPECTION.

Narrative: THE ACFT HAD A DEER STRIKE EARLIER THAT MORNING BEFORE SUNRISE. WE UNDERSTOOD THE CREW HAD ABORTED AND INSPECTED THE ACFT BEFORE FLYING TO HOUSTON (IAH). THE CREW HAD CONTACTED THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS ON WHAT FURTHER TO DO. MAINT HAD INSPECTED AND SIGNED OFF THE ACFT AIRWORTHY FOR FURTHER SVC. F/O AND I INSPECTED THE ACFT WITH SPECIAL ATTN TO THE NOSE WHEEL AREA AND FORWARD FUSELAGE BEFORE FLT. WE FOUND DEER HAIRS AND SPLATTERINGS OF BLOOD INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL. THE LNDG LIGHT WAS INTACT, NO HYD LEAKS OR NO BENDING OF FORWARD AIRFRAME. I PERSONALLY HAVE OVER 2300 HRS IN TYPE AND HAVE PERFORMED HUNDREDS OF INSPECTIONS OVER THE LAST 3 YRS WITH SPECIAL ATTN TO THIS ONE. IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION I BELIEVE THE ACFT SHOWED NO SIGNS OF DAMAGE AT THIS TIME. I AM ALSO CONFIDENT THAT OUR CREWS, IF THERE HAD BEEN DAMAGE, WOULD NOT HAVE FLOWN SUCH AN ACFT, AND OUR CONSERVATIVE MAINT DEPT WOULD NOT HAVE DISPATCHED SUCH AN ACFT WITH DAMAGE. MY THEORY IS THE DEER STRIKE MAY HAVE WEAKENED IT AND ADDITIONAL LNDGS MAY HAVE EVENTUALLY SHOWED DAMAGE AFTER MANY LNDGS. I WAS DRAFTED TO FERRY THIS DAMAGED ACFT TO OKLAHOMA CITY UNDER FAA AND COMPANY SUPERVISION. IN LOOKING AT THE ACFT, IT WAS NOTICEABLE RIGHT AWAY THAT THE PLANE HAD BEEN DAMAGED AS WE DROVE UP AND INSPECTED IT. THIS DAMAGE WOULD HAVE BEEN HARD TO MISS AFTER THE DEER STRIKE. THE ACFT SHOWED DAMAGE TO THE NOSE WHEEL AREA AND FORWARD FUSELAGE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: ACFT RETURNED TO THE MFG FOR REPAIRS. THEY ARE CONVINCED THE DAMAGE TO THE NOSE AREA HAD TO BE CAUSED BY A HARD LNDG. ESTIMATED COST OF REPAIRS, $19000. 9 PLTS HAD FLOWN THE ACFT AFTER THE DEER STRIKE AND NONE SAW DAMAGE AS INDICATED WHEN THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF SVC. DURING THE OPERATION OF THE ACFT MAINT HAD DECLARED THE ACFT AIRWORTHY BEFORE EACH OPERATION. AFTER FURTHER REVIEW THE FAA IS NOT TAKING ACTION AGAINST THESE PLTS. ONE PLT, HOWEVER, PERSON INVOLVED IN THE ORIGINAL DEER STRIKE, IS BEING PUT ON THE CARPET FOR FLYING THE ACFT BEFORE MAINT HAD ACTUALLY CHKED THE ACFT. FEELING IS THE PHONE RELEASE WAS NOT ADEQUATE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.