Narrative:

I was helping out with panel close-up on DC9 aircraft xx. We were in the aft stairway area of the aircraft. It was around XA00, maybe a little before, when we got the call for aircraft ab, bxb from maintenance said aircraft ab was coming in with a right engine hydraulic pump that needed to be deferred. I noticed it was not in yet, and asked 'what time will it arrive?' bxb said 'it should be in 10 mins from now.' so I continued with aircraft xx. A few mins later, maintenance control called for aircraft zy. Bxb said that a passenger oxygen panel had fallen down. The plane was in and it was parked right next to aircraft xx. I went over and waited in the jetway because they were still offloading passenger. Just then, captain wxx wvz came out to talk to me. He said that there might be more than 1 panel to check and if you can take a look at the tailskid because the first officer might have hit it some. I said ok, then I went into the cabin. I reopened the panels, security and condition check good. Panel tabs were reset. Panel location was all on the right side 1 at row 10, 1 by emergency exit forward door, and 2 in the aft cabin. After, I went outside to check the tailskid. When I got there, I noticed the tab was in the upright position and it was safetied. That was the first time I had seen the tailskid scraped that hard. I did not notice the fuselage scrape. I wanted the lead to look at it. I went over to aircraft xx to get him, but I could not find him. So I called the supervisor. Bcd responded and said he would come out. Right after that, ld called on the radio and asked what I needed. So I went back to aircraft and found him. I let him know what was going on. He told me to go to aircraft ab and defer the right engine hydraulic pump. So I did. When I finished, I headed back to aircraft zy. The plane was taxiing out. Later, I had asked bcd if he had looked at the tailskid. He said yes. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter stated he never returned to aircraft zy to check on the tailskid damage. The reporter said the supervisor was aware of the tailskid problem but is unaware of the supervisor's action. The reporter stated the tailskid and oxygen panels were not logbook items, just verbal reports. The reporter stated he made no write-up on the tailskid damage. The reporter said later on the aircraft was out of service for belly skin and tailskid repair.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC9-50 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH TAILSKID DAMAGE AND A FUSELAGE SCRAPE NOT INSPECTED AND NOT DOCUMENTED BY FLC OR GND CREW.

Narrative: I WAS HELPING OUT WITH PANEL CLOSE-UP ON DC9 ACFT XX. WE WERE IN THE AFT STAIRWAY AREA OF THE ACFT. IT WAS AROUND XA00, MAYBE A LITTLE BEFORE, WHEN WE GOT THE CALL FOR ACFT AB, BXB FROM MAINT SAID ACFT AB WAS COMING IN WITH A R ENG HYD PUMP THAT NEEDED TO BE DEFERRED. I NOTICED IT WAS NOT IN YET, AND ASKED 'WHAT TIME WILL IT ARRIVE?' BXB SAID 'IT SHOULD BE IN 10 MINS FROM NOW.' SO I CONTINUED WITH ACFT XX. A FEW MINS LATER, MAINT CTL CALLED FOR ACFT ZY. BXB SAID THAT A PAX OXYGEN PANEL HAD FALLEN DOWN. THE PLANE WAS IN AND IT WAS PARKED RIGHT NEXT TO ACFT XX. I WENT OVER AND WAITED IN THE JETWAY BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL OFFLOADING PAX. JUST THEN, CAPT WXX WVZ CAME OUT TO TALK TO ME. HE SAID THAT THERE MIGHT BE MORE THAN 1 PANEL TO CHK AND IF YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT THE TAILSKID BECAUSE THE FO MIGHT HAVE HIT IT SOME. I SAID OK, THEN I WENT INTO THE CABIN. I REOPENED THE PANELS, SECURITY AND CONDITION CHK GOOD. PANEL TABS WERE RESET. PANEL LOCATION WAS ALL ON THE R SIDE 1 AT ROW 10, 1 BY EMER EXIT FORWARD DOOR, AND 2 IN THE AFT CABIN. AFTER, I WENT OUTSIDE TO CHK THE TAILSKID. WHEN I GOT THERE, I NOTICED THE TAB WAS IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION AND IT WAS SAFETIED. THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD SEEN THE TAILSKID SCRAPED THAT HARD. I DID NOT NOTICE THE FUSELAGE SCRAPE. I WANTED THE LEAD TO LOOK AT IT. I WENT OVER TO ACFT XX TO GET HIM, BUT I COULD NOT FIND HIM. SO I CALLED THE SUPVR. BCD RESPONDED AND SAID HE WOULD COME OUT. RIGHT AFTER THAT, LD CALLED ON THE RADIO AND ASKED WHAT I NEEDED. SO I WENT BACK TO ACFT AND FOUND HIM. I LET HIM KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. HE TOLD ME TO GO TO ACFT AB AND DEFER THE R ENG HYD PUMP. SO I DID. WHEN I FINISHED, I HEADED BACK TO ACFT ZY. THE PLANE WAS TAXIING OUT. LATER, I HAD ASKED BCD IF HE HAD LOOKED AT THE TAILSKID. HE SAID YES. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED HE NEVER RETURNED TO ACFT ZY TO CHK ON THE TAILSKID DAMAGE. THE RPTR SAID THE SUPVR WAS AWARE OF THE TAILSKID PROB BUT IS UNAWARE OF THE SUPVR'S ACTION. THE RPTR STATED THE TAILSKID AND OXYGEN PANELS WERE NOT LOGBOOK ITEMS, JUST VERBAL RPTS. THE RPTR STATED HE MADE NO WRITE-UP ON THE TAILSKID DAMAGE. THE RPTR SAID LATER ON THE ACFT WAS OUT OF SVC FOR BELLY SKIN AND TAILSKID REPAIR.

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.