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Flight crew of an light transport air carrier aircraft inadvertently operated the aircraft with a damaged horizontal stabilizer caused by a ground baggage cart striking the aircraft tail.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 265294 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199403 |
| Day | Sun |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : lga |
| State Reference | NY |
| 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 | Commercial Fixed Wing |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight ground : parked |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp pilot : cfi |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 90 flight time total : 4800 flight time type : 60 |
| ASRS Report | 265294 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Qualification | pilot : commercial pilot : instrument |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | conflict : ground critical other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other other : unspecified |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
| Air Traffic Incident | other |
Narrative:
I deadheaded to lga to pick up a trip already in progress. I met my first officer as scheduled (he had flown 3 previous legs in this aircraft. I was only replacing the captain) and we walked to the airplane. It was being svced (and) loaded. We departed on schedule and flew to pvd. The aircraft functioned perfectly. After arriving in pvd, the ground agents noticed that a baggage cart must have struck the left stabilizer, for they could move it up and down a few inches (normally it is fixed). Unknowingly, we must have flown it that way. The company was investigating the incident for the damage must have occurred in lga. My part, as PIC, was to delegate the preflight to the first officer. However, I did not perform a preflight myself, or directed the first officer to do so, since the aircraft and first officer had flown the last 3 legs and I was only substituting for the captain. From now on, I will do a pre- and postflt myself as well.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: FLC OF AN LTT ACR ACFT INADVERTENTLY OPERATED THE ACFT WITH A DAMAGED HORIZONTAL STABILIZER CAUSED BY A GND BAGGAGE CART STRIKING THE ACFT TAIL.
Narrative: I DEADHEADED TO LGA TO PICK UP A TRIP ALREADY IN PROGRESS. I MET MY FO AS SCHEDULED (HE HAD FLOWN 3 PREVIOUS LEGS IN THIS ACFT. I WAS ONLY REPLACING THE CAPT) AND WE WALKED TO THE AIRPLANE. IT WAS BEING SVCED (AND) LOADED. WE DEPARTED ON SCHEDULE AND FLEW TO PVD. THE ACFT FUNCTIONED PERFECTLY. AFTER ARRIVING IN PVD, THE GND AGENTS NOTICED THAT A BAGGAGE CART MUST HAVE STRUCK THE L STABILIZER, FOR THEY COULD MOVE IT UP AND DOWN A FEW INCHES (NORMALLY IT IS FIXED). UNKNOWINGLY, WE MUST HAVE FLOWN IT THAT WAY. THE COMPANY WAS INVESTIGATING THE INCIDENT FOR THE DAMAGE MUST HAVE OCCURRED IN LGA. MY PART, AS PIC, WAS TO DELEGATE THE PREFLT TO THE FO. HOWEVER, I DID NOT PERFORM A PREFLT MYSELF, OR DIRECTED THE FO TO DO SO, SINCE THE ACFT AND FO HAD FLOWN THE LAST 3 LEGS AND I WAS ONLY SUBSTITUTING FOR THE CAPT. FROM NOW ON, I WILL DO A PRE- AND POSTFLT MYSELF AS WELL.
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.