Narrative:

Departing at xaam on flight ord to columbus, oh, we gave the aircraft a complete preflight. The first officer did the complete preflight and I did a duplicate external walk around which is my practice when time permits. We found all normal and departed normally and arrived normally at cmh. We prepared for departure at cmh with the first officer again doing a preflight. But, sitting at the gate about 5 mins before departure, one of the ground service people reported a hole (about 1/2' wide and about 1 1/2' long) in the bottom skin of the aft stair door on the aircraft. The first officer went to investigate and found this small wedge shaped hole as reported, probably caused by someone lowering the stairs on something. He reported there was no other damage and the adjacent stringer was not even bent. We decided that the damage was not serious and had no effect on the airworthiness of the aircraft, so we departed on time for chicago. On arrival at ord, we reported the hole to maintenance and they repaired it. We learned at that time that the FAA was not now permitting temporary repair of skin damage and a full sheet metal repair had to be done. We further learned that all skin punctures in the aircraft, no matter how insignificant, had to be reported to the FAA. We considered this damage insignificant and thought it would be covered with tape until a full repair could be made. We were wrong. Supplemental information from acn 88396: the captain elected, after I advised him, we should write it up in cmh, to go on to ord and have it looked at there.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG WAS FLOWN WITH KNOWN DAMAGE NOT WRITTEN UP IN LOGBOOK.

Narrative: DEPARTING AT XAAM ON FLT ORD TO COLUMBUS, OH, WE GAVE THE ACFT A COMPLETE PREFLT. THE F/O DID THE COMPLETE PREFLT AND I DID A DUPLICATE EXTERNAL WALK AROUND WHICH IS MY PRACTICE WHEN TIME PERMITS. WE FOUND ALL NORMAL AND DEPARTED NORMALLY AND ARRIVED NORMALLY AT CMH. WE PREPARED FOR DEP AT CMH WITH THE F/O AGAIN DOING A PREFLT. BUT, SITTING AT THE GATE ABOUT 5 MINS BEFORE DEP, ONE OF THE GND SVC PEOPLE RPTED A HOLE (ABOUT 1/2' WIDE AND ABOUT 1 1/2' LONG) IN THE BOTTOM SKIN OF THE AFT STAIR DOOR ON THE ACFT. THE F/O WENT TO INVESTIGATE AND FOUND THIS SMALL WEDGE SHAPED HOLE AS RPTED, PROBABLY CAUSED BY SOMEONE LOWERING THE STAIRS ON SOMETHING. HE RPTED THERE WAS NO OTHER DAMAGE AND THE ADJACENT STRINGER WAS NOT EVEN BENT. WE DECIDED THAT THE DAMAGE WAS NOT SERIOUS AND HAD NO EFFECT ON THE AIRWORTHINESS OF THE ACFT, SO WE DEPARTED ON TIME FOR CHICAGO. ON ARR AT ORD, WE RPTED THE HOLE TO MAINT AND THEY REPAIRED IT. WE LEARNED AT THAT TIME THAT THE FAA WAS NOT NOW PERMITTING TEMPORARY REPAIR OF SKIN DAMAGE AND A FULL SHEET METAL REPAIR HAD TO BE DONE. WE FURTHER LEARNED THAT ALL SKIN PUNCTURES IN THE ACFT, NO MATTER HOW INSIGNIFICANT, HAD TO BE RPTED TO THE FAA. WE CONSIDERED THIS DAMAGE INSIGNIFICANT AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE COVERED WITH TAPE UNTIL A FULL REPAIR COULD BE MADE. WE WERE WRONG. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 88396: THE CAPT ELECTED, AFTER I ADVISED HIM, WE SHOULD WRITE IT UP IN CMH, TO GO ON TO ORD AND HAVE IT LOOKED AT THERE.

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.