B737-700 flight crew discovers a rodent on the aircraft.

Attributes
ACN	695203
Time
Date	200604
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : isp.airport
State Reference	NY
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-700
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6500 flight time type : 4500
ASRS Report	695203
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	cabin event other non adherence : company policies non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other other : 3
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

Upon arrival at aircraft on originator out of isp; found some rubber shreds on the floor next to cockpit door. Determined that the shreds were most likely from the rubber WX seal at the bottom of the cockpit door. Also noted that the rubber shreds looked like they might have been the result of a rodent chewing on the WX seal. Performed a visual inspection of the area and saw no other indications of any animals and proceeded with normal operations. At the end of the second flight on descent into bwi; the flight attendants found a RAT on the floor near the forward flight attendant jumpseat. They could not determine where it came from. It appeared to be 'groggy' and they kicked it to the side by the forward entry door and kicked it off the airplane when we parked at the gate. After consulting with maintenance control the aircraft was taken OTS for further inspection. In retrospect; I should have consulted with dispatch and maintenance upon arrival in isp to determine if there were any issues related to the WX seal and possibility of a rodent on the aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW DISCOVERS A RODENT ON THE ACFT.

Narrative: UPON ARR AT ACFT ON ORIGINATOR OUT OF ISP; FOUND SOME RUBBER SHREDS ON THE FLOOR NEXT TO COCKPIT DOOR. DETERMINED THAT THE SHREDS WERE MOST LIKELY FROM THE RUBBER WX SEAL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE COCKPIT DOOR. ALSO NOTED THAT THE RUBBER SHREDS LOOKED LIKE THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN THE RESULT OF A RODENT CHEWING ON THE WX SEAL. PERFORMED A VISUAL INSPECTION OF THE AREA AND SAW NO OTHER INDICATIONS OF ANY ANIMALS AND PROCEEDED WITH NORMAL OPS. AT THE END OF THE SECOND FLT ON DSCNT INTO BWI; THE FLT ATTENDANTS FOUND A RAT ON THE FLOOR NEAR THE FORWARD FLT ATTENDANT JUMPSEAT. THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE WHERE IT CAME FROM. IT APPEARED TO BE 'GROGGY' AND THEY KICKED IT TO THE SIDE BY THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR AND KICKED IT OFF THE AIRPLANE WHEN WE PARKED AT THE GATE. AFTER CONSULTING WITH MAINT CTL THE ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. IN RETROSPECT; I SHOULD HAVE CONSULTED WITH DISPATCH AND MAINT UPON ARR IN ISP TO DETERMINE IF THERE WERE ANY ISSUES RELATED TO THE WX SEAL AND POSSIBILITY OF A RODENT ON THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.