Narrative:

I brought an aircraft to maintenance. My first officer performed the preflight and noted no discrepancies. Upon arrival; I performed a postflt inspection prior to the aircraft being pushed back into the hangar and noted no discrepancies. Later that evening; maintenance noticed a small quarter sized dent in the belly of the aircraft just below the forward entry door with a couple of rivets appearing to have been pulled through the aircraft skin. Upon further inspection; maintenance found the door actuator had begun pulling the rivets from inside the aircraft. I feel that because the postflt was made in the dark using just a flashlight; it was nearly impossible to identify a small quarter size dent in the belly of the aircraft along with the missing rivets. I have already purchased an led flashlight to provide additional light when performing postflts.

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PILOT IS INFORMED MAINTENANCE FOUND A DENT IN THE BELLY OF THE AIRCRAFT JUST FORWARD OF THE ENTRY DOOR WITH RIVETS BEING PULLED THROUGH THE SKIN. THE DOOR ACTUATOR HAD BEGAN PULLING THE RIVETS FROM INSIDE THE EMB-120 AIRCRAFT.

Narrative: I BROUGHT AN ACFT TO MAINT. MY FO PERFORMED THE PREFLT AND NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES. UPON ARR; I PERFORMED A POSTFLT INSPECTION PRIOR TO THE ACFT BEING PUSHED BACK INTO THE HANGAR AND NOTED NO DISCREPANCIES. LATER THAT EVENING; MAINT NOTICED A SMALL QUARTER SIZED DENT IN THE BELLY OF THE ACFT JUST BELOW THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR WITH A COUPLE OF RIVETS APPEARING TO HAVE BEEN PULLED THROUGH THE ACFT SKIN. UPON FURTHER INSPECTION; MAINT FOUND THE DOOR ACTUATOR HAD BEGUN PULLING THE RIVETS FROM INSIDE THE ACFT. I FEEL THAT BECAUSE THE POSTFLT WAS MADE IN THE DARK USING JUST A FLASHLIGHT; IT WAS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO IDENT A SMALL QUARTER SIZE DENT IN THE BELLY OF THE ACFT ALONG WITH THE MISSING RIVETS. I HAVE ALREADY PURCHASED AN LED FLASHLIGHT TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL LIGHT WHEN PERFORMING POSTFLTS.

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.