Narrative:

On june xy, 1989, after normal preflight inspection, flew 2 legs in an large transport. Aircraft later found to have damage on underside of elevator due to ground collision with other aircraft on june xx, 1989. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following: reporter stated that it was not possible to see the tear because of the dirt on the underside of the elevator. In researching the event the reporter further stated that maintenance at dfw had found some vortex generators that had been knocked off a flight while on the ground the morning of the day before these reports were dated for subject flight. By analyzing what flight had occupied the gate next to the aircraft with missing vortex generators, they (maintenance) came up with a flight number. Damage occurred during pushback of subject aircraft. It was not until the next evening that they identified and inspected subject aircraft at bna. The damage was not picked up by maintenance at the first overnight layover at ord. A total of 6 ground inspections missed this damage. Supplemental information from acn 114902: on 6/xy/89 myself and same crew flew an air carrier flight 2 legs ord-iah-bna. Upon arrival at bna, maintenance removed the aircraft from service after finding a 3 inch tear on the bottom of one elevator. The tear was obscured by grime and oil and difficult to see. Nothing occurred on our 2 flts to indicate the cause of this problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SAME LGT FLOWN BY 2 DIFFERENT FLT CREWS ON SAME DAY. AT THE END OF THAT DAY'S LAST FLT THE ACFT WAS REMOVED FROM SERVICE BY MAINTENANCE AFTER DISCOVERING A TEAR ON THE UNDERSIDE OF ONE OF THE ELEVATORS.

Narrative: ON JUNE XY, 1989, AFTER NORMAL PREFLT INSPECTION, FLEW 2 LEGS IN AN LGT. ACFT LATER FOUND TO HAVE DAMAGE ON UNDERSIDE OF ELEVATOR DUE TO GND COLLISION WITH OTHER ACFT ON JUNE XX, 1989. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: REPORTER STATED THAT IT WAS NOT POSSIBLE TO SEE THE TEAR BECAUSE OF THE DIRT ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ELEVATOR. IN RESEARCHING THE EVENT THE REPORTER FURTHER STATED THAT MAINT AT DFW HAD FOUND SOME VORTEX GENERATORS THAT HAD BEEN KNOCKED OFF A FLT WHILE ON THE GND THE MORNING OF THE DAY BEFORE THESE REPORTS WERE DATED FOR SUBJECT FLT. BY ANALYZING WHAT FLT HAD OCCUPIED THE GATE NEXT TO THE ACFT WITH MISSING VORTEX GENERATORS, THEY (MAINT) CAME UP WITH A FLT NUMBER. DAMAGE OCCURRED DURING PUSHBACK OF SUBJECT ACFT. IT WAS NOT UNTIL THE NEXT EVENING THAT THEY IDENTIFIED AND INSPECTED SUBJECT ACFT AT BNA. THE DAMAGE WAS NOT PICKED UP BY MAINT AT THE FIRST OVERNIGHT LAYOVER AT ORD. A TOTAL OF 6 GND INSPECTIONS MISSED THIS DAMAGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 114902: ON 6/XY/89 MYSELF AND SAME CREW FLEW AN AIR CARRIER FLT 2 LEGS ORD-IAH-BNA. UPON ARRIVAL AT BNA, MAINT REMOVED THE ACFT FROM SERVICE AFTER FINDING A 3 INCH TEAR ON THE BOTTOM OF ONE ELEVATOR. THE TEAR WAS OBSCURED BY GRIME AND OIL AND DIFFICULT TO SEE. NOTHING OCCURRED ON OUR 2 FLTS TO INDICATE THE CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM.

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.