Narrative:

Upon arrival at X09 am (left) to aircraft north parked at X for a through flight from elp, I was met by an FAA inspector prior to entering the flight deck. At his inquiry, I presented my certificate and medical, and then proceeded to complete the cockpit clean-up procedures. During this time, I noticed that system a hydraulic gauge quantity was displayed at 3.5. Upon finishing the cockpit, I began the walk-around. At the tail of the airplane, I was met by a different FAA inspector who observed me from engine #1 around to the nose. While checking the aft airstair area, I noticed the system a hydraulic gauge also was displaying 3.5 min gate departure. Since the gauge in the cockpit coincided with the one in the aft airstair area, I knew I would have the airplane svced by the maintenance crew. At the completion of my walk-around, the inspector outside advised me of fluid dripping from the underside of the belly between the 2 wheel wells. Upon further investigation, I found a small puddle of fluid on the tow-in line. There were small puddles of deicing fluid and water all over the ramp area from the water service to this aircraft and possibly from a previous airplane. I found the leak to be associated with the low system a hydraulic quantity. I then proceeded to the flight deck to make a maintenance entry in the E-6 flight maintenance log about the leak found between the wheel wells and used the jetbridge phone to notify maintenance of our problem. I returned outside to point out the leak to the maintenance crew. Upon returning to the jetbridge, the first FAA inspector advised me of damage on the trailing edge flap on the left side of the airplane. I returned outside to observe the damage and then made another entry in the E-6 logbook. I called maintenance by phone, as well as notified the maintenance crew member already present at the aircraft. I also imparted all I knew of both problems to the captain I was flying with.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR INSPECTOR FOUND 2 SIGNIFICANT MAINT DISCREPANCIES BEFORE THE FE HAD A CHANCE TO FIND THEM.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT X09 AM (L) TO ACFT N PARKED AT X FOR A THROUGH FLT FROM ELP, I WAS MET BY AN FAA INSPECTOR PRIOR TO ENTERING THE FLT DECK. AT HIS INQUIRY, I PRESENTED MY CERTIFICATE AND MEDICAL, AND THEN PROCEEDED TO COMPLETE THE COCKPIT CLEAN-UP PROCS. DURING THIS TIME, I NOTICED THAT SYS A HYD GAUGE QUANTITY WAS DISPLAYED AT 3.5. UPON FINISHING THE COCKPIT, I BEGAN THE WALK-AROUND. AT THE TAIL OF THE AIRPLANE, I WAS MET BY A DIFFERENT FAA INSPECTOR WHO OBSERVED ME FROM ENG #1 AROUND TO THE NOSE. WHILE CHKING THE AFT AIRSTAIR AREA, I NOTICED THE SYS A HYD GAUGE ALSO WAS DISPLAYING 3.5 MIN GATE DEP. SINCE THE GAUGE IN THE COCKPIT COINCIDED WITH THE ONE IN THE AFT AIRSTAIR AREA, I KNEW I WOULD HAVE THE AIRPLANE SVCED BY THE MAINT CREW. AT THE COMPLETION OF MY WALK-AROUND, THE INSPECTOR OUTSIDE ADVISED ME OF FLUID DRIPPING FROM THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BELLY BTWN THE 2 WHEEL WELLS. UPON FURTHER INVESTIGATION, I FOUND A SMALL PUDDLE OF FLUID ON THE TOW-IN LINE. THERE WERE SMALL PUDDLES OF DEICING FLUID AND WATER ALL OVER THE RAMP AREA FROM THE WATER SVC TO THIS ACFT AND POSSIBLY FROM A PREVIOUS AIRPLANE. I FOUND THE LEAK TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW SYS A HYD QUANTITY. I THEN PROCEEDED TO THE FLT DECK TO MAKE A MAINT ENTRY IN THE E-6 FLT MAINT LOG ABOUT THE LEAK FOUND BTWN THE WHEEL WELLS AND USED THE JETBRIDGE PHONE TO NOTIFY MAINT OF OUR PROBLEM. I RETURNED OUTSIDE TO POINT OUT THE LEAK TO THE MAINT CREW. UPON RETURNING TO THE JETBRIDGE, THE FIRST FAA INSPECTOR ADVISED ME OF DAMAGE ON THE TRAILING EDGE FLAP ON THE L SIDE OF THE AIRPLANE. I RETURNED OUTSIDE TO OBSERVE THE DAMAGE AND THEN MADE ANOTHER ENTRY IN THE E-6 LOGBOOK. I CALLED MAINT BY PHONE, AS WELL AS NOTIFIED THE MAINT CREW MEMBER ALREADY PRESENT AT THE ACFT. I ALSO IMPARTED ALL I KNEW OF BOTH PROBLEMS TO THE CAPT I WAS FLYING WITH.

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.