An air carrier medium large transport crew found a large tear in the skin of their aircraft belly.

Attributes
ACN	237969
Time
Date	199304
Day	Mon
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lga
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 2675
ASRS Report	237969
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 210 flight time total : 15000
ASRS Report	237977
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

I was the first officer scheduled to operate air carrier flight X den direct lga, continued to iah as flight Y. I did the exterior preflight of aircraft Z, parked at gate a in den, accompanied by 2 air carrier mechanics. No discrepancies were found. Pushback, taxi, takeoff, en route, landing, and taxi in were all normal, with no unusual noises or occurrences. In lga, the captain made the exterior preflight, and discovered a tear in the skin of the aircraft belly, between and slightly forward of the main gear. The sheet metal around the tear was pushed and bent toward the nose of the aircraft, as though it had been hit from behind. It appeared as though something was driven under the aircraft from the rear. Supplemental information from acn 237977: it looked like the aircraft was hit from behind and under the fuselage because the sheet metal was bent forward at the rear most hole as though someone drove a belt loader or something under it. Before we left den, both maintenance and the first officer did walk arounds and the aircraft was fine as reported by both.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR MLG CREW FOUND A LARGE TEAR IN THE SKIN OF THEIR ACFT BELLY.

Narrative: I WAS THE FO SCHEDULED TO OPERATE ACR FLT X DEN DIRECT LGA, CONTINUED TO IAH AS FLT Y. I DID THE EXTERIOR PREFLT OF ACFT Z, PARKED AT GATE A IN DEN, ACCOMPANIED BY 2 ACR MECHS. NO DISCREPANCIES WERE FOUND. PUSHBACK, TAXI, TKOF, ENRTE, LNDG, AND TAXI IN WERE ALL NORMAL, WITH NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR OCCURRENCES. IN LGA, THE CAPT MADE THE EXTERIOR PREFLT, AND DISCOVERED A TEAR IN THE SKIN OF THE ACFT BELLY, BTWN AND SLIGHTLY FORWARD OF THE MAIN GEAR. THE SHEET METAL AROUND THE TEAR WAS PUSHED AND BENT TOWARD THE NOSE OF THE ACFT, AS THOUGH IT HAD BEEN HIT FROM BEHIND. IT APPEARED AS THOUGH SOMETHING WAS DRIVEN UNDER THE ACFT FROM THE REAR. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 237977: IT LOOKED LIKE THE ACFT WAS HIT FROM BEHIND AND UNDER THE FUSELAGE BECAUSE THE SHEET METAL WAS BENT FORWARD AT THE REAR MOST HOLE AS THOUGH SOMEONE DROVE A BELT LOADER OR SOMETHING UNDER IT. BEFORE WE LEFT DEN, BOTH MAINT AND THE FO DID WALK AROUNDS AND THE ACFT WAS FINE AS RPTED BY BOTH.

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.