This seems very strange. Could you confirm ZFT?
From the report:
Quote:
The non-discovery of the damage during the engineer's external inspection for the turn round is difficult to understand.
This is the primary function of a tail skid, to visually give a clear indication of a tail strike. They are not sturdy and therefore not designed to protect the aircraft unless the force of the strike is minimal.
My bold.
A couple of clarifications.
1. BA shorthaul a/c do not get inspected by an engineer/technician/mechanic during turnrounds. The flight crew do it (Rumour is they got a pay rise to accept this responsibility some years ago). Engineering staff only attend on request, or if there is a controlled inspection that is scheduled to be carried out during the turnround.
2. Even though BA has an engineering presence at GLA, it is hangar based. There is no BA line maintenance at GLA, it is subcontracted to a 3rd party (not sure who).
3. None of this is relevant as the damage was discovered during the turnround and the a/c taken out of service for repair.