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A B737-700 passenger deplaning (pilot from another airline) informs flight crew he saw dents on the spoilers. Captain mentions this type of damage cannot be seen during normal walkaround.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 770390 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200801 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1801 To 2400 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Night |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : zzz.tower |
| 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 : 191 |
| ASRS Report | 770390 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 311 flight time type : 311 |
| ASRS Report | 770694 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical |
| Independent Detector | other other : 3 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Maintenance Human Performance Chart Or Publication Aircraft Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Aircraft |
Narrative:
Picked up airplane and flew to ZZZ. Blue skies the whole way. Passenger deplaning in ZZZ (a pilot from another airline) mentioned he saw some dents in the spoilers so he and I went back to look. Called maintenance who said they had no record of it. By that time line maintenance went out on the wing and saw a lot of dents. Aircraft was taken OTS. My question is: these couldn't have been seen on a walkaround; so how will we know in the future? Is the material the spoilers are made of so much softer than the rest of the wing that they show damage when no other is visible? Supplemental information from acn 770694: we did not encounter any adverse WX conditions throughout the entire flight from our departing city. To the best of my knowledge the flight spoilers weren't used either. In other words; this damage most likely occurred sometime before we took the aircraft. Since this was not previously reported by a flight crew; the damage probably occurred without them noticing it. How often do maintenance personnel check the topside of the wings for damage?
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737-700 PASSENGER DEPLANING (PILOT FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE) INFORMS FLIGHT CREW HE SAW DENTS ON THE SPOILERS. CAPTAIN MENTIONS THIS TYPE OF DAMAGE CANNOT BE SEEN DURING NORMAL WALKAROUND.
Narrative: PICKED UP AIRPLANE AND FLEW TO ZZZ. BLUE SKIES THE WHOLE WAY. PAX DEPLANING IN ZZZ (A PLT FROM ANOTHER AIRLINE) MENTIONED HE SAW SOME DENTS IN THE SPOILERS SO HE AND I WENT BACK TO LOOK. CALLED MAINT WHO SAID THEY HAD NO RECORD OF IT. BY THAT TIME LINE MAINT WENT OUT ON THE WING AND SAW A LOT OF DENTS. ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS. MY QUESTION IS: THESE COULDN'T HAVE BEEN SEEN ON A WALKAROUND; SO HOW WILL WE KNOW IN THE FUTURE? IS THE MATERIAL THE SPOILERS ARE MADE OF SO MUCH SOFTER THAN THE REST OF THE WING THAT THEY SHOW DAMAGE WHEN NO OTHER IS VISIBLE? SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 770694: WE DID NOT ENCOUNTER ANY ADVERSE WX CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE FLT FROM OUR DEPARTING CITY. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE FLT SPOILERS WEREN'T USED EITHER. IN OTHER WORDS; THIS DAMAGE MOST LIKELY OCCURRED SOMETIME BEFORE WE TOOK THE ACFT. SINCE THIS WAS NOT PREVIOUSLY RPTED BY A FLT CREW; THE DAMAGE PROBABLY OCCURRED WITHOUT THEM NOTICING IT. HOW OFTEN DO MAINT PERSONNEL CHK THE TOPSIDE OF THE WINGS FOR DAMAGE?
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.