Narrative:

After gate arrival in ord I was met by a mechanic who had just parked an aircraft on the adjacent gate and noticed our tail cone damage. He made an effort to come over to advise me of such. I then went outside to inspect the area and was met by several other mechanics and ramp supervisors taking pictures. Our tail cone had been struck by what had to be a tall vehicle. It looked to me to be a glancing blow by the shape of the damage. There were no gouges; paint marks or punctures; just a big dent. Aircraft OTS; changed equipment and departed. This aircraft had over-nighted in tpa and I flew its first daily flight. Deicing was not required that day. My first officer said he did not notice this dent or anything unusual or out of the ordinary that morning.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TAIL CONE OF MD80 IS DAMAGED BY UNKNOWN OBJECT.

Narrative: AFTER GATE ARR IN ORD I WAS MET BY A MECH WHO HAD JUST PARKED AN ACFT ON THE ADJACENT GATE AND NOTICED OUR TAIL CONE DAMAGE. HE MADE AN EFFORT TO COME OVER TO ADVISE ME OF SUCH. I THEN WENT OUTSIDE TO INSPECT THE AREA AND WAS MET BY SEVERAL OTHER MECHS AND RAMP SUPVRS TAKING PICTURES. OUR TAIL CONE HAD BEEN STRUCK BY WHAT HAD TO BE A TALL VEHICLE. IT LOOKED TO ME TO BE A GLANCING BLOW BY THE SHAPE OF THE DAMAGE. THERE WERE NO GOUGES; PAINT MARKS OR PUNCTURES; JUST A BIG DENT. ACFT OTS; CHANGED EQUIP AND DEPARTED. THIS ACFT HAD OVER-NIGHTED IN TPA AND I FLEW ITS FIRST DAILY FLT. DEICING WAS NOT REQUIRED THAT DAY. MY FO SAID HE DID NOT NOTICE THIS DENT OR ANYTHING UNUSUAL OR OUT OF THE ORDINARY THAT MORNING.

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.