Narrative:

Flew nxxx from iad to lyh. This was our only flight this day on this particular aircraft. All aspects of pre, during, and post-flight were normal. Turned over airplane to a mechanic (company employee) at gate at lyh. Lyh is a company maintenance base. We went off duty at this point. Next morning when we reported to lyh a different mechanic, who was delivering a different airplane to us at the gate, asked us if we had hit any taxiway lights with nxxx during the previous day, because he said, mechanics had 'found' significant propeller (2 bent/gouged blades) and engine FOD damage on #2 engine. Blue glass was said to have been found in #2 engine inlet. I checked with iad airport operations and lyh airport operations for reports of broken taxiway lights and found out at lyh 2 broken taxiway lights discovered at taxiway entrance to maintenance hangar ramp. This is on other side of field from air carrier ramp and at no time did we taxi anywhere near, though mechanic repositioning aircraft from air carrier ramp to maintenance hangar would have transited taxiway in question. Appears mechanic struck taxiway lights and failed to report incident in effort to throw responsibility on previous flight crew. Turned over all this information to company. Later, informed informally by director of flight operations that they knew mechanic was responsible and so we were 'off hook' so to speak. While somewhat relieved that this matter is concluded, I am not entirely satisfied in that I would have appreciated some formal notification of resolution of responsibility (away from me) on company letterhead. Especially since damage involved is on the order of $50000-$100000 depending on severity of engine FOD damage. Also, company indicated (informally) that maintenance department was not pursuing the matter with mechanic involved. This is disturbing to me. While I can understand someone making a mistake and unintentionally hitting taxiway lights ('stuff happens') I am less understanding given that person appears to have very intentionally lied about the business in an attempt to cover up for himself and knowingly blame others for his mistakes. I'm sure I'd rather not have such an individual (who, by the way, also falsified an aircraft log by not truthfully logging and reporting the incident) working on airplanes that I fly.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECH TAXIED INTO TXWY LIGHT AND TRIED TO BLAME THE INBOUND FLC FOR THE DAMAGE.

Narrative: FLEW NXXX FROM IAD TO LYH. THIS WAS OUR ONLY FLT THIS DAY ON THIS PARTICULAR ACFT. ALL ASPECTS OF PRE, DURING, AND POST-FLT WERE NORMAL. TURNED OVER AIRPLANE TO A MECH (COMPANY EMPLOYEE) AT GATE AT LYH. LYH IS A COMPANY MAINT BASE. WE WENT OFF DUTY AT THIS POINT. NEXT MORNING WHEN WE RPTED TO LYH A DIFFERENT MECH, WHO WAS DELIVERING A DIFFERENT AIRPLANE TO US AT THE GATE, ASKED US IF WE HAD HIT ANY TXWY LIGHTS WITH NXXX DURING THE PREVIOUS DAY, BECAUSE HE SAID, MECHS HAD 'FOUND' SIGNIFICANT PROP (2 BENT/GOUGED BLADES) AND ENG FOD DAMAGE ON #2 ENG. BLUE GLASS WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN FOUND IN #2 ENG INLET. I CHKED WITH IAD ARPT OPS AND LYH ARPT OPS FOR RPTS OF BROKEN TXWY LIGHTS AND FOUND OUT AT LYH 2 BROKEN TXWY LIGHTS DISCOVERED AT TXWY ENTRANCE TO MAINT HANGAR RAMP. THIS IS ON OTHER SIDE OF FIELD FROM ACR RAMP AND AT NO TIME DID WE TAXI ANYWHERE NEAR, THOUGH MECH REPOSITIONING ACFT FROM ACR RAMP TO MAINT HANGAR WOULD HAVE TRANSITED TXWY IN QUESTION. APPEARS MECH STRUCK TXWY LIGHTS AND FAILED TO RPT INCIDENT IN EFFORT TO THROW RESPONSIBILITY ON PREVIOUS FLC. TURNED OVER ALL THIS INFO TO COMPANY. LATER, INFORMED INFORMALLY BY DIRECTOR OF FLT OPS THAT THEY KNEW MECH WAS RESPONSIBLE AND SO WE WERE 'OFF HOOK' SO TO SPEAK. WHILE SOMEWHAT RELIEVED THAT THIS MATTER IS CONCLUDED, I AM NOT ENTIRELY SATISFIED IN THAT I WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED SOME FORMAL NOTIFICATION OF RESOLUTION OF RESPONSIBILITY (AWAY FROM ME) ON COMPANY LETTERHEAD. ESPECIALLY SINCE DAMAGE INVOLVED IS ON THE ORDER OF $50000-$100000 DEPENDING ON SEVERITY OF ENG FOD DAMAGE. ALSO, COMPANY INDICATED (INFORMALLY) THAT MAINT DEPT WAS NOT PURSUING THE MATTER WITH MECH INVOLVED. THIS IS DISTURBING TO ME. WHILE I CAN UNDERSTAND SOMEONE MAKING A MISTAKE AND UNINTENTIONALLY HITTING TXWY LIGHTS ('STUFF HAPPENS') I AM LESS UNDERSTANDING GIVEN THAT PERSON APPEARS TO HAVE VERY INTENTIONALLY LIED ABOUT THE BUSINESS IN AN ATTEMPT TO COVER UP FOR HIMSELF AND KNOWINGLY BLAME OTHERS FOR HIS MISTAKES. I'M SURE I'D RATHER NOT HAVE SUCH AN INDIVIDUAL (WHO, BY THE WAY, ALSO FALSIFIED AN ACFT LOG BY NOT TRUTHFULLY LOGGING AND RPTING THE INCIDENT) WORKING ON AIRPLANES THAT I FLY.

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.