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Aci found cowl cracks during walk around inspection. Aircraft was released by aci with comment to have the cracks repaired at the next maintenance facility. Captain questions aci's authority to ok the aircraft to continue.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 188208 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199109 |
| Day | Wed |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : roa |
| State Reference | VA |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | Light Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turboprop Eng |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 5700 flight time type : 3400 |
| ASRS Report | 188208 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | government : faa |
| Function | observation : air carrier inspector |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : anomaly accepted |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
FAA inspector from richmond, va, did a ramp check on our flight. The walk around revealed a 1 1/2-2 inch crack on an engine cowl. Our light transport's have lots of cowl cracks but normally they've been repaired. He said to have it looked at at the next maintenance facility. We departed to atl and subsequently had maintenance address this item. During the flight, however, it occurred to me can he tell us to leave without an a and P inspecting this crack, although an a and P would sign it off as ok for flight to maintenance base. In retrospect I should have called flight control and had an a and P sign it off. Note, we have 1 aircraft in our fleet that has 29 patches over cracks on the 2 engines alone. Maybe more should have been done in the design phase. Maybe we should have an advisory circular that says what's legal to depart with and what's not.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: ACI FOUND COWL CRACKS DURING WALK AROUND INSPECTION. ACFT WAS RELEASED BY ACI WITH COMMENT TO HAVE THE CRACKS REPAIRED AT THE NEXT MAINT FACILITY. CAPT QUESTIONS ACI'S AUTHORITY TO OK THE ACFT TO CONTINUE.
Narrative: FAA INSPECTOR FROM RICHMOND, VA, DID A RAMP CHK ON OUR FLT. THE WALK AROUND REVEALED A 1 1/2-2 INCH CRACK ON AN ENG COWL. OUR LTT'S HAVE LOTS OF COWL CRACKS BUT NORMALLY THEY'VE BEEN REPAIRED. HE SAID TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT AT THE NEXT MAINT FACILITY. WE DEPARTED TO ATL AND SUBSEQUENTLY HAD MAINT ADDRESS THIS ITEM. DURING THE FLT, HOWEVER, IT OCCURRED TO ME CAN HE TELL US TO LEAVE WITHOUT AN A AND P INSPECTING THIS CRACK, ALTHOUGH AN A AND P WOULD SIGN IT OFF AS OK FOR FLT TO MAINT BASE. IN RETROSPECT I SHOULD HAVE CALLED FLT CTL AND HAD AN A AND P SIGN IT OFF. NOTE, WE HAVE 1 ACFT IN OUR FLEET THAT HAS 29 PATCHES OVER CRACKS ON THE 2 ENGS ALONE. MAYBE MORE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN THE DESIGN PHASE. MAYBE WE SHOULD HAVE AN ADVISORY CIRCULAR THAT SAYS WHAT'S LEGAL TO DEPART WITH AND WHAT'S NOT.
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.