Incident Discovery
The director of operations for the aircraft operator stated that maintenance personnel identified structural damage on a twin-engine turboprop airplane during a routine daily inspection. The damage was located on the wings and fuselage. The inspection was part of standard procedures to detect any issues.
Flight Log Analysis
A review of the airplane's flight logs was undertaken after the discovery. The logs indicated that the damage most likely occurred as a result of a hard landing event during the last flight, which took place earlier that same day. This analysis provided a potential explanation for the structural issues.
Pilot Statements
The two pilots who operated the aircraft on the last flight did not report any mechanical problems with the airplane before or during the flight. They also did not report any hard landing event. The lack of such reports contrasts with the findings from the flight log review.
Summary
The structural damage to the wings and fuselage was discovered during a routine inspection. Based on the flight logs, a hard landing on the previous flight is the most likely cause. The pilots did not mention any abnormalities, leaving questions about the event's occurrence.