Aircraft at wash rack had static ports taped. Not removed prior to flight.

Attributes
ACN	162842
Time
Date	199011
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : tpa
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Large Transport, Low Wing, 3 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	other
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	162842
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	faa : investigated
Supplementary
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft was taken to wash rack and static ports were taped up. This was not documented in logbook. I was asked to power up aircraft for preflight in am. A logbook check and cockpit check showed all ok. Our procedures call for an outside check of struts and tires for inflation and fluid leaks which I accomplished. I did not notice the static ports taped up, although I did not make a specific check of them. I will never miss that again. Procedures have been changed to include a thorough walk around of aircraft for preflight after layover. I believe anytime anything of a disabling nature is done to an aircraft there should be a logbook item initiated, to prevent this occurrence in the future. Of this particular type of occurrence, I believe the indicators should be more prominent, such as long streamer ribbons. I find it very hard to believe that I missed seeing that tape. Human factors. Poor visibility, darkness and heavy fog. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. Reporter states he was called to power up the aircraft after it was washed. He was doing the check of specific items for logbook write off. He was not requested to do a cockpit check but lead mechanic assumed he had done it. Aircraft subsequently flown tpa to orl with tape still covering ports.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT AT WASH RACK HAD STATIC PORTS TAPED. NOT REMOVED PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: ACFT WAS TAKEN TO WASH RACK AND STATIC PORTS WERE TAPED UP. THIS WAS NOT DOCUMENTED IN LOGBOOK. I WAS ASKED TO PWR UP ACFT FOR PREFLT IN AM. A LOGBOOK CHK AND COCKPIT CHK SHOWED ALL OK. OUR PROCS CALL FOR AN OUTSIDE CHK OF STRUTS AND TIRES FOR INFLATION AND FLUID LEAKS WHICH I ACCOMPLISHED. I DID NOT NOTICE THE STATIC PORTS TAPED UP, ALTHOUGH I DID NOT MAKE A SPECIFIC CHK OF THEM. I WILL NEVER MISS THAT AGAIN. PROCS HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO INCLUDE A THOROUGH WALK AROUND OF ACFT FOR PREFLT AFTER LAYOVER. I BELIEVE ANYTIME ANYTHING OF A DISABLING NATURE IS DONE TO AN ACFT THERE SHOULD BE A LOGBOOK ITEM INITIATED, TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE. OF THIS PARTICULAR TYPE OF OCCURRENCE, I BELIEVE THE INDICATORS SHOULD BE MORE PROMINENT, SUCH AS LONG STREAMER RIBBONS. I FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT I MISSED SEEING THAT TAPE. HUMAN FACTORS. POOR VISIBILITY, DARKNESS AND HVY FOG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. RPTR STATES HE WAS CALLED TO PWR UP THE ACFT AFTER IT WAS WASHED. HE WAS DOING THE CHK OF SPECIFIC ITEMS FOR LOGBOOK WRITE OFF. HE WAS NOT REQUESTED TO DO A COCKPIT CHK BUT LEAD MECH ASSUMED HE HAD DONE IT. ACFT SUBSEQUENTLY FLOWN TPA TO ORL WITH TAPE STILL COVERING PORTS.

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