Narrative:

We ferried an medium large transport to vps to pick up a military charter passenger load, as is common practice, 2 military inspectors boarded the aircraft at vps to check its airworthiness. During their outside inspection, they noted that 3 of the 6 tire valve stems lacked screw-on caps. They brought this to the attention of the captain, who called maintenance control back in dal. Maintenance informed him that they were indeed required. The captain scrounged some caps from air force supply so that we could fly our charter, but the inspectors wrote up the incident nonetheless. Therefore I assume that the FAA will get wind of it. I have done walkarounds on aircraft for over 6 yrs now, and have never checked for valve stem caps. Since this occurrence, I make a point of checking, and quite often they are missing. They are misplaced, I am certain, during tire pressure checks on overnighters. I don't tell anyone but the captain that they are missing, and we certainly wouldn't delay a flight to et them replaced, nor would we pay contract maintenance to do so. One additional note: the company charter flight 1 hour behind ours had the same problem at vps, so I'm apparently not alone in not checking for these caps. I certainly don't feel unsafe flying without them, but I'd hate to get time off due to their absence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MLG FLT CREW ON CHARTER INFORMED BY MILITARY INSPECTOR THAT 6 VALVE STEM CAPS WERE MISSING. CREW LOCATED SOME, FLT PROCEEDED.

Narrative: WE FERRIED AN MLG TO VPS TO PICK UP A MIL CHARTER PAX LOAD, AS IS COMMON PRACTICE, 2 MIL INSPECTORS BOARDED THE ACFT AT VPS TO CHECK ITS AIRWORTHINESS. DURING THEIR OUTSIDE INSPECTION, THEY NOTED THAT 3 OF THE 6 TIRE VALVE STEMS LACKED SCREW-ON CAPS. THEY BROUGHT THIS TO THE ATTN OF THE CAPT, WHO CALLED MAINT CTL BACK IN DAL. MAINT INFORMED HIM THAT THEY WERE INDEED REQUIRED. THE CAPT SCROUNGED SOME CAPS FROM AIR FORCE SUPPLY SO THAT WE COULD FLY OUR CHARTER, BUT THE INSPECTORS WROTE UP THE INCIDENT NONETHELESS. THEREFORE I ASSUME THAT THE FAA WILL GET WIND OF IT. I HAVE DONE WALKAROUNDS ON ACFT FOR OVER 6 YRS NOW, AND HAVE NEVER CHECKED FOR VALVE STEM CAPS. SINCE THIS OCCURRENCE, I MAKE A POINT OF CHECKING, AND QUITE OFTEN THEY ARE MISSING. THEY ARE MISPLACED, I AM CERTAIN, DURING TIRE PRESSURE CHECKS ON OVERNIGHTERS. I DON'T TELL ANYONE BUT THE CAPT THAT THEY ARE MISSING, AND WE CERTAINLY WOULDN'T DELAY A FLT TO ET THEM REPLACED, NOR WOULD WE PAY CONTRACT MAINT TO DO SO. ONE ADDITIONAL NOTE: THE COMPANY CHARTER FLT 1 HR BEHIND OURS HAD THE SAME PROBLEM AT VPS, SO I'M APPARENTLY NOT ALONE IN NOT CHECKING FOR THESE CAPS. I CERTAINLY DON'T FEEL UNSAFE FLYING WITHOUT THEM, BUT I'D HATE TO GET TIME OFF DUE TO THEIR ABSENCE.

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.