Narrative:

Near active runway. Ahead of me was a DC8 (heavy) I pulled to the side to do my run-up. (All gauges were in the green and normal.) on the ground my radios had a lot of static and the cargo door chain was making a lot of loud noise whenever I taxied over an uneven (not smooth) surface. I took off and all gauges were in the green and throughout the flight everything was normal. I landed at chihuahua, mexico, everything was normal. A gentleman sitting in a forklift (parked in front of the right propeller) pointed out the damaged propeller to me. I examined it thoroughly, 1 blade was badly damaged and other two had nicks on them. I was instructed by my company mechanic to run up the engine on different RPM settings and there were no vibrations or any abnormalities of the sort. I did not think it would be a wise decision to fly back. The airport environment at chihuahua (mexico) is not very favorable. It is paved yet in a very deteriorating state. Furthermore, the static in the radios and the loud noise of the cargo door chain was also a factor. Also another very important factor is trying to meet or beat the time deadline to deliver cargo. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that because of the extremely poor condition of the runway in chihuahua mexico and several notable dips in the txwys that the propeller damage most likely occurred there. After discovering the damage, the reporter contacted his company maintenance and was instructed to run up the engine at various rpms. He then contacted the owner of the company with the information and his decision to not fly the aircraft in this unsafe condition. No pressure was placed on him to change his mind and the aircraft was repaired before returning to elp. He further attributes the not noticing of propeller damage to the loud sounds made by a chain that holds the cargo door.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PREVIOUSLY UNDETECTED PROP DAMAGE DISCOVERED AFTER LNDG IN CHIHUAHUA, FO.

Narrative: NEAR ACTIVE RWY. AHEAD OF ME WAS A DC8 (HVY) I PULLED TO THE SIDE TO DO MY RUN-UP. (ALL GAUGES WERE IN THE GREEN AND NORMAL.) ON THE GND MY RADIOS HAD A LOT OF STATIC AND THE CARGO DOOR CHAIN WAS MAKING A LOT OF LOUD NOISE WHENEVER I TAXIED OVER AN UNEVEN (NOT SMOOTH) SURFACE. I TOOK OFF AND ALL GAUGES WERE IN THE GREEN AND THROUGHOUT THE FLT EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. I LANDED AT CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO, EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. A GENTLEMAN SITTING IN A FORKLIFT (PARKED IN FRONT OF THE R PROP) POINTED OUT THE DAMAGED PROP TO ME. I EXAMINED IT THOROUGHLY, 1 BLADE WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND OTHER TWO HAD NICKS ON THEM. I WAS INSTRUCTED BY MY COMPANY MECH TO RUN UP THE ENG ON DIFFERENT RPM SETTINGS AND THERE WERE NO VIBRATIONS OR ANY ABNORMALITIES OF THE SORT. I DID NOT THINK IT WOULD BE A WISE DECISION TO FLY BACK. THE ARPT ENVIRONMENT AT CHIHUAHUA (MEXICO) IS NOT VERY FAVORABLE. IT IS PAVED YET IN A VERY DETERIORATING STATE. FURTHERMORE, THE STATIC IN THE RADIOS AND THE LOUD NOISE OF THE CARGO DOOR CHAIN WAS ALSO A FACTOR. ALSO ANOTHER VERY IMPORTANT FACTOR IS TRYING TO MEET OR BEAT THE TIME DEADLINE TO DELIVER CARGO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT BECAUSE OF THE EXTREMELY POOR CONDITION OF THE RWY IN CHIHUAHUA MEXICO AND SEVERAL NOTABLE DIPS IN THE TXWYS THAT THE PROP DAMAGE MOST LIKELY OCCURRED THERE. AFTER DISCOVERING THE DAMAGE, THE RPTR CONTACTED HIS COMPANY MAINT AND WAS INSTRUCTED TO RUN UP THE ENG AT VARIOUS RPMS. HE THEN CONTACTED THE OWNER OF THE COMPANY WITH THE INFO AND HIS DECISION TO NOT FLY THE ACFT IN THIS UNSAFE CONDITION. NO PRESSURE WAS PLACED ON HIM TO CHANGE HIS MIND AND THE ACFT WAS REPAIRED BEFORE RETURNING TO ELP. HE FURTHER ATTRIBUTES THE NOT NOTICING OF PROP DAMAGE TO THE LOUD SOUNDS MADE BY A CHAIN THAT HOLDS THE CARGO DOOR.

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.