Narrative:

I am an airlines 767 captain. I have flown T category aircraft as an flight engineer, first officer and captain since 1967. In the late 1960's a dc-8 crashed shortly after takeoff rotation, at jfk, due to a piece of FOD entering the fuselage through a structural opening that operated a control rod for the horizontal stabilizer. I believe part of the fix was to install brushes in the opening to deflect objects from entering the fuselage. In 1979 and 1980, during a holiday, I was trying to commute from sfo to rno on abc airlines. They were using a boeing 737. As the inbound flight I was trying to take approached the gate at sfo, I noticed that the large fairing connecting the forward lower vertical stabilizer and aircraft fuselage was missing. I thought the captain, first officer or a mechanic would see the missing part during the walk around. I never saw anyone inspect the exterior of the aircraft and it went unnoticed. The flight almost departed the gate, when I brought the problem to the attention of the very busy ticket agent who had been boarding passenger. He notified the company, the outbound passenger were deplaned, and the aircraft was taken out of service. Some things that you may want to research, if you have not already done so are: could the colorado springs or pittsburth 737S lost this fairing, if so, could moisture, FOD, birds, part of the fairing or its fasteners enter the fuselage jamming the rudder or elevator package during certain phases of flight. If the aircraft flew without the fairing, there would be strange noises heard in the cabin. Food for thought if it hasn't already been looked into.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT AS GND OBS NOTICED FAIRING BETWEEN LOWER VERTICAL STABILIZER AND FUSELAGE WAS MISSING.

Narrative: I AM AN AIRLINES 767 CAPT. I HAVE FLOWN T CATEGORY ACFT AS AN FE, FO AND CAPT SINCE 1967. IN THE LATE 1960'S A DC-8 CRASHED SHORTLY AFTER TKOF ROTATION, AT JFK, DUE TO A PIECE OF FOD ENTERING THE FUSELAGE THROUGH A STRUCTURAL OPENING THAT OPERATED A CONTROL ROD FOR THE HORIZ STABILIZER. I BELIEVE PART OF THE FIX WAS TO INSTALL BRUSHES IN THE OPENING TO DEFLECT OBJECTS FROM ENTERING THE FUSELAGE. IN 1979 AND 1980, DURING A HOLIDAY, I WAS TRYING TO COMMUTE FROM SFO TO RNO ON ABC AIRLINES. THEY WERE USING A BOEING 737. AS THE INBOUND FLT I WAS TRYING TO TAKE APCHED THE GATE AT SFO, I NOTICED THAT THE LARGE FAIRING CONNECTING THE FORWARD LOWER VERT STABILIZER AND ACFT FUSELAGE WAS MISSING. I THOUGHT THE CAPT, FO OR A MECH WOULD SEE THE MISSING PART DURING THE WALK AROUND. I NEVER SAW ANYONE INSPECT THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT AND IT WENT UNNOTICED. THE FLT ALMOST DEPARTED THE GATE, WHEN I BROUGHT THE PROBLEM TO THE ATTENTION OF THE VERY BUSY TICKET AGENT WHO HAD BEEN BOARDING PAX. HE NOTIFIED THE COMPANY, THE OUTBOUND PAX WERE DEPLANED, AND THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OUT OF SVC. SOME THINGS THAT YOU MAY WANT TO RESEARCH, IF YOU HAVE NOT ALREADY DONE SO ARE: COULD THE COLORADO SPRINGS OR PITTSBURTH 737S LOST THIS FAIRING, IF SO, COULD MOISTURE, FOD, BIRDS, PART OF THE FAIRING OR ITS FASTENERS ENTER THE FUSELAGE JAMMING THE RUDDER OR ELEVATOR PACKAGE DURING CERTAIN PHASES OF FLT. IF THE ACFT FLEW WITHOUT THE FAIRING, THERE WOULD BE STRANGE NOISES HEARD IN THE CABIN. FOOD FOR THOUGHT IF IT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN LOOKED INTO.

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.