AN MD80 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE GND CREW HEADSET PLUGGED IN AT THE GND SVC PANEL. ACFT INCURRED SKIN DAMAGE.

Narrative

JUST AFTER DEP (APPROX 500 FT) THE #1 FLT ATTENDANT CALLED AND SAID THERE WAS A LOUD THUMPING NOISE NEAR THE FORWARD GALLEY AND THERE WAS A SMELL OF RUBBER. I SMELLED THE RUBBER ALSO. AFTER CHKING THE ENG INSTS; WE CONTINUED WITH THE DEP WITH MY COPLT TRYING TO FIND A CIRCUIT BREAKER FOR THE LAVATORY FLUSH MOTOR. WE CONTINUED TO ZZZ1 AND THE THUMPING DID NOT STOP. SOME TIME DURING THE FLT; WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE CREW CHIEF'S HEADSET AS ANOTHER POSSIBILITY. WE FLEW A NORMAL APCH AND LNDG. DURING THE APCH; THE NOISE STOPPED. HE TOLD ME THE CREW CHIEF'S HEADSET WAS STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT. AND THAT THE ACFT WAS DAMAGED -- THOUGH HE DID NOT SAY HOW MUCH. THE PREVIOUS EVENTS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE CREW CHIEF TO FORGET HIS HEADSET ARE: WE WERE THE FIRST DIVERT ACFT INTO ZZZ AND SHOULD BE THE FIRST OUT. I WAS TOLD BY THE ZZZ STATION PERSONNEL THAT THE FLT NEXT TO ME HAD PRIORITY OVER ME BECAUSE HE WAS INTL. WHEN THE WX CLRED; THE CREW CHIEF CAME ON THE HEADSET AND ASKED IF WE WERE READY TO START. WE TOLD HIM YES; AND THEN HE WAS INTERRUPTED BY A CALL FROM OPS ON HIS RADIO (I HEARD HIM ANSWER). HE THEN TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO LAUNCH THE OTHER JET FIRST THEN WOULD GET BACK TO US. I ASKED HIM IF WE WERE CLRED TO START AND HE SAID YES AND HE WOULD COME BACK. AFTER STARTING; WE WATCHED THE OTHER JET TAXI OUT AND THEN THE CREW CHIEF WALKED IN FRONT OF OUR ACFT WITH LIGHTED WANDS. WE ALSO HAD A WING WALKER WITH WANDS. HE MOTIONED US TO TAXI; AND WE RECEIVED A SALUTE AND TAXIED; THEN DEPARTED. A COUPLE OF THINGS TO NOTE ARE: THE CREW CHIEF WAS WORKING 8 DIVERT ACFT. ALL THE ACFT WERE ALL PARKED ON THE APRON NEXT TO THE TWR AND THE 2 LARGE LIGHTS WERE ON MY R SIDE AND FAR AFT (THE ACFT'S L FORWARD SIDE WAS VERY DARK AND SHADOWED) AND THERE WAS LIGHT RAIN. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE PIC STATED THE ACFT WAS NOT INSPECTED ON ARR AT ZZZ BY HIM OR THE FO BUT MAINT RPTED THE HEADSET WAS FOUND PLUGGED INTO THE GND SVC PANEL. THE RPTR SAID THE FUSELAGE SKIN WAS DAMAGED AFT OF THE COCKPIT. THE RPTR STATED THE HEADSET AND CORD WAS FOUND INTACT AND NO EVIDENCE OF ENG INGESTION WAS FOUND BUT WAS BORESCOPED PRECAUTIONARY. THE RPTR SAID THE SIT WAS AN ABNORMAL OP WITH A WX DIVERSION IN LIGHT RAIN; POOR TO NO LIGHTING ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT AND 8 ACFT ON THE GND ALL AWAITING THE OK TO GO. THE RPTR SAID THE GND CREW WAS OVERLOADED. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH FO REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: MAINT RPTED THE AIRPLANE SKIN ON L SIDE ABOUT 10 FT AFT OF THE CAPT'S SIDE WINDOW WAS DAMAGED BY THE HEADSET AND CORD. THE FO SAID NO INSPECTION WAS MADE BY THE CREW AFTER ARR.