ACR HVT CARGO ACFT RECEIVED ENG COWLING DENT DURING TAXI FOR TKOF.

Narrative

ACFT HAD BLOCKED OUT OF BDL; WAS IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING #1 ENG DURING TAXI FOR TKOF. INFORMED FBO WE WERE RETURNING DUE TO 2 HUNG STARTS. FBO MECH ASKED US TO ATTEMPT 1 MORE START WHILE TAXIING IN. THIRD ATTEMPT WAS SUCCESSFUL JUST AS WE ARRIVED AT THE RAMP. INFORMED FBO OF OUR SUCCESSFUL START AND ADVISED THEM WE WERE CONTINUING OPS NORMAL. FBO ACKNOWLEDGED AND TOLD US IF WE NEEDED ANYTHING ELSE TO CALL. LOG ENTRY WAS MADE AT THIS TIME FOR 2 HUNG STARTS. AFTER ARRIVING PHL; WHILE IN OPS; PHL MECHS INQUIRED AS TO WHAT HAPPENED AT BDL. THEY INFORMED US THAT THEY HAD HEARD FROM BDL THAT WE HAD HIT A SNOW BANK WITH THE #1 ENG POD WHILE TAXIING. THEY ALSO NOTED A SMALL DENT OUTBOARD #1 ENG POD. AT ACFT I NOTED A SMALL DENT ON THE LOWER OUTBOARD PORTION OF #1 ENG. NO SCRATCH WAS PRESENT NOR WAS ANY PAINT MISSING. MAINT FILLED OUT AN INCIDENT RPT; SIGNED OFF THE HUNG STARTS BY TIGHTENING SOME FUEL LINES AND WE CONTINUED TO SDF WITHOUT INCIDENT. I DO NOT BELIEVE ANY OF THE SNOW BANKS AT BDL WERE HIGH ENOUGH TO IMPACT THE ENG WHERE THE DENT WAS (APPROX 4 FT UP). BUT IF IN FACT THE SNOW BANKS WERE THAT HIGH AND WE DID HIT ONE AND THE FBO KNEW THIS; THEN WHY WASN'T THAT INFO RELAYED TO US (SINCE I SPOKE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE TAXI PROCESS). BY ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE THEY EXPOSED US AND OTHERS TO UNNECESSARY DANGER BY NOT INFORMING US AND ALLOWING US TO DO A PROPER INSPECTION. IF THIS IS TRUE THEN THE FBO PERSONNEL WERE MORE CONCERNED WITH AN ON-TIME DEP THAN WITH SAFETY. ANOTHER EXPLANATION COULD BE THAT THE POD WAS DENTED DURING THE LOADING PROCESS AND WENT UNNOTICED BY US SINCE THE PREFLT WAS ACCOMPLISHED PRIOR TO THE LOADING BEING COMPLETED. THERE HAVE BEEN INSTANCES IN THE PAST WHERE A LOADER HITS THE ACFT AND DOESN'T FEEL THE NECESSITY TO RPT IT DUE TO REPRISALS OR IN HIS OPINION THAT THE DAMAGE IS NOT SUBSTANTIAL.