Narrative:

Reported at AB45 am local for flight from mia-tpa. AC45 pm departure. During preflight at AC00 pm, no discrepancies were noted. During climb I noted that the cabin was climbing unexpectedly. We leveled at 10000 ft MSL, and the cabin altitude leveled at 4000 ft (sea level would be normal). The captain felt a door seal may have been unseated. We agreed that we'd reserve judgement for the return flight in the morning. The next morning during preflight (PM30 local, continuous duty overnight) I found damage to the fuselage skin. It consisted of 2 puncture holes separated by a 10 inch gouge located on the right side between the wing and horizontal stabilizer. Obviously, these holes caused our pressurization problems. To date, it is not known whether the damage occurred before or after my preflight in mia. In mia a tug was found which clearly was the culprit. The driver hasn't been found. If I did miss the damage on preflight, here are some contributing factors: 1) ramp spot in mia isn't well lit. The right side of the aircraft is very dark. 2) the damage was well above eye level (at least 7 ft above the ground). 3) the damage was to an area already protected by a skin doubler. The surface is riddled with rivet heads -- in other words, the surface is rough. 4) over time, one learns where to key in on, like engine inlets for FOD. My expectation level for finding this kind of damage was low, especially 7 ft in the air. Again, it hasn't been determined when the damage occurred. I believe I noticed the damage in tpa due to excellent ramp lighting. Postflt inspections are a crew responsibility. My typical postflt consists of checking engine inlets, checking tires and brakes and looking for fluid leaks. I don't expect to see damage of this nature. In subsequent preflts and postflts, I am looking for anything and everything. I've always taken pride in my inspections, but if I did miss this, then clearly there's room for improvement.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: SF340 FO FINDS ACFT DAMAGED DURING MORNING PREFLT INSPECTION. ACFT HAD BEEN FLOWN IN THE NIGHT BEFORE AND FLC HAD DIFFICULTY IN MAINTAINING PROPER CABIN PRESSURE. TUG FOUND AT THE PREVIOUS DEP ARPT THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE CAUSE OF THE DAMAGE.

Narrative: RPTED AT AB45 AM LCL FOR FLT FROM MIA-TPA. AC45 PM DEP. DURING PREFLT AT AC00 PM, NO DISCREPANCIES WERE NOTED. DURING CLB I NOTED THAT THE CABIN WAS CLBING UNEXPECTEDLY. WE LEVELED AT 10000 FT MSL, AND THE CABIN ALT LEVELED AT 4000 FT (SEA LEVEL WOULD BE NORMAL). THE CAPT FELT A DOOR SEAL MAY HAVE BEEN UNSEATED. WE AGREED THAT WE'D RESERVE JUDGEMENT FOR THE RETURN FLT IN THE MORNING. THE NEXT MORNING DURING PREFLT (PM30 LCL, CONTINUOUS DUTY OVERNIGHT) I FOUND DAMAGE TO THE FUSELAGE SKIN. IT CONSISTED OF 2 PUNCTURE HOLES SEPARATED BY A 10 INCH GOUGE LOCATED ON THE R SIDE BTWN THE WING AND HORIZ STABILIZER. OBVIOUSLY, THESE HOLES CAUSED OUR PRESSURIZATION PROBS. TO DATE, IT IS NOT KNOWN WHETHER THE DAMAGE OCCURRED BEFORE OR AFTER MY PREFLT IN MIA. IN MIA A TUG WAS FOUND WHICH CLRLY WAS THE CULPRIT. THE DRIVER HASN'T BEEN FOUND. IF I DID MISS THE DAMAGE ON PREFLT, HERE ARE SOME CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) RAMP SPOT IN MIA ISN'T WELL LIT. THE R SIDE OF THE ACFT IS VERY DARK. 2) THE DAMAGE WAS WELL ABOVE EYE LEVEL (AT LEAST 7 FT ABOVE THE GND). 3) THE DAMAGE WAS TO AN AREA ALREADY PROTECTED BY A SKIN DOUBLER. THE SURFACE IS RIDDLED WITH RIVET HEADS -- IN OTHER WORDS, THE SURFACE IS ROUGH. 4) OVER TIME, ONE LEARNS WHERE TO KEY IN ON, LIKE ENG INLETS FOR FOD. MY EXPECTATION LEVEL FOR FINDING THIS KIND OF DAMAGE WAS LOW, ESPECIALLY 7 FT IN THE AIR. AGAIN, IT HASN'T BEEN DETERMINED WHEN THE DAMAGE OCCURRED. I BELIEVE I NOTICED THE DAMAGE IN TPA DUE TO EXCELLENT RAMP LIGHTING. POSTFLT INSPECTIONS ARE A CREW RESPONSIBILITY. MY TYPICAL POSTFLT CONSISTS OF CHKING ENG INLETS, CHKING TIRES AND BRAKES AND LOOKING FOR FLUID LEAKS. I DON'T EXPECT TO SEE DAMAGE OF THIS NATURE. IN SUBSEQUENT PREFLTS AND POSTFLTS, I AM LOOKING FOR ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING. I'VE ALWAYS TAKEN PRIDE IN MY INSPECTIONS, BUT IF I DID MISS THIS, THEN CLRLY THERE'S ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

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.