FLT OF DAMAGED ACFT.

Narrative

CHIEF PLT INFORMING ME THAT A TAIL STRIKE OCCURRED ON THE AIRPLANE I FLEW FROM DTW TO BUF. OUTBOUND CREW NOTICED DAMAGE (SCRAPED) TO TAIL SKID. I MADE BOTH TKOF AND LNDG. BOTH TKOF AND LNDG APPEARED NORMAL AND PER SOP. LNDG IN BUF WAS STABLE APCH; FLAP 40 DEGS WITH NO UNUSUAL FLOAT; USED VERY LIGHT REVERSE DUE TO LIGHT ACFT WT. TKOF WAS AT LIGHT WT; 15 DEGS WITH NORMAL ROTATION. ALL 3 FA'S STATED NO UNUSUAL NOISES OR 'FEELS.' THE FLT RECORDER IS BEING ANALYZED AT THIS TIME. THE FO DID WALK AROUND BEFORE OUR FLT. PER SOP; ALL HE HAD TO DO WITH REF TO TAIL SKID WAS INSURE THE INDICATOR WAS HORIZ AND SAFTIED. MAINT FOUND BOTH IN NORMAL POS; BUT THE TAIL SKID ITSELF WAS GND DOWN. I AND FO STRONGLY FEEL WE DID NOT CAUSE THIS. CHIEF PLT STATED THAT HE WILL SUGGEST THAT THE MANUAL BE CHANGED FOR SOP TO ADD THAT THE PREFLT INCLUDE INSPECTION OF BOTTOM OF TAIL SKID FOR SCRAPED PAINT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 282416: UPON WALK AROUND FO FOUND THE TAIL SKID PLATE HAD BEEN SCRAPED. CAPT CONTACTED DISPATCHER AND ASKED TO BE PATCHED IN WITH MAINT CTL (MC). CAPT DESCRIBED THE SIT TO MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH. MAINT CTL AND CAPT AGREED THE FLT WAS SAFE TO CONTINUE TO DTW WHERE THEY COULD FIX OR REPLACE THE PLATE. THE PRACTICE OF WAITING TO WRITE UP A MAINT ITEM UNTIL WE GET TO A MAINT BASE HAS BECOME SO COMMON; DUE TO THE ECONOMICS OF HAVING TO SHIP PARTS TO AN OUTLYING STATION; CANCEL FLTS; LEAVE PAX STRANDED ETC; THAT I ACTUALLY THOUGHT AS LONG AS THE ACFT WAS 'SAFE' TO FLY THAT IT WOULD BE OK TO CONTINUE TO OPERATE TO A MAINT BASE AND WRITE IT UP OR FIX IT THERE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: DISPATCHER THOUGHT TAILSKID WAS ON THE MEL AND COULD BE DEFERRED TO NEXT STOPOVER. SHE APPROVED FLT ON THAT BASIS. LATER SHE LEARNED IT WAS NON-DEFERABLE. SHE DID SAY THAT COMS WERE DIFFICULT BTWN THE FLC AND MAINT IN THAT NO ONE REALLY KNOWLEDGEABLE WAS PRESENT THAT UNDERSTOOD FLT OR MAINT LIMITATIONS. SHE NOW HAS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THESE LIMITATIONS.