Both first officer and maintenance fail to detect damage to leading edge of B737 prior to flight.

Attributes
ACN	622268
Time
Date	200305
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dawn
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : instrument pilot : multi engine pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 190 flight time total : 12000 flight time type : 480
ASRS Report	622268
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 225 flight time total : 15000 flight time type : 7000
ASRS Report	622269
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters other non adherence : company policies non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other other : 4
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Factors
Maintenance	performance deficiency : inspection
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance Environmental Factor
Primary Problem	Ambiguous

Narrative:

Damage to the left leading edge was reported to iah operations after the aircraft landed in cle. We encountered no object during the flight to cle that could have caused the damage. It appears that the damage was present during the time that I did the exterior preflight and that I did not notice it. I was informed of the damage when I reported for my next flight the following day. Supplemental information from acn 622269: damage was reported by chief pilot's office. Was unaware of such damage to the aircraft. The preflight was early in the morning first flight of the day on the third day of our pairing. The night before was a fairly short layover and the morning's WX was a little foggy and overcast. The damage was apparently done to the aircraft on the previous flight. We had no difficulty during the flight and were informed of the damage later.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: BOTH FO AND MAINT FAIL TO DETECT DAMAGE TO LEADING EDGE OF B737 PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: DAMAGE TO THE L LEADING EDGE WAS RPTED TO IAH OPS AFTER THE ACFT LANDED IN CLE. WE ENCOUNTERED NO OBJECT DURING THE FLT TO CLE THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE DAMAGE. IT APPEARS THAT THE DAMAGE WAS PRESENT DURING THE TIME THAT I DID THE EXTERIOR PREFLT AND THAT I DID NOT NOTICE IT. I WAS INFORMED OF THE DAMAGE WHEN I RPTED FOR MY NEXT FLT THE FOLLOWING DAY. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 622269: DAMAGE WAS RPTED BY CHIEF PLT'S OFFICE. WAS UNAWARE OF SUCH DAMAGE TO THE ACFT. THE PREFLT WAS EARLY IN THE MORNING FIRST FLT OF THE DAY ON THE THIRD DAY OF OUR PAIRING. THE NIGHT BEFORE WAS A FAIRLY SHORT LAYOVER AND THE MORNING'S WX WAS A LITTLE FOGGY AND OVCST. THE DAMAGE WAS APPARENTLY DONE TO THE ACFT ON THE PREVIOUS FLT. WE HAD NO DIFFICULTY DURING THE FLT AND WERE INFORMED OF THE DAMAGE LATER.

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.