A DC9 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH A CRACKED FUELING RECEPTACLE BRACE NOT ENTERED IN THE LOGBOOK.

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ON LAST LEG OF A 5 DAY TRIP; WE LANDED AT BUFFALO; NY; WITH NORMAL OPS AT XA37. I BEGAN MY EXTERIOR PREFLT AT APPROX XB00. UPON ARR AT R SIDE OF ACFT; THE REFUELER MOTIONED ME OVER TO UNDERWING REFUELING RECEPTACLE BRACE AND POINTED OUT A CRACK IN ONE OF THE BRACES. THE WT OF THE HOSE AND FUELING NOZZLE DID NOT SEEM TO BE AFFECTING THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE DESPITE THE CRACKED BRACE. I ASKED HIM IF HE COULD CONTINUE REFUELING SAFELY AND HE SAID HE COULD. THE REFUELER SEEMED TO BE VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THE CRACK AND WHO WAS TO 'BLAME' I TOLD HIM IT COULD HAVE BEEN METAL FATIGUE OR REFUELERS IN PAST LEANING ON HOSE WHILE REFUELING OR SOMEONE JUST SIMPLY DRIVING AWAY WITH HOSE STILL ATTACHED TO ACFT. IT WAS HARD TO TELL HOW LONG THE CRACK HAD BEEN THERE. I TOLD THE CAPT OF THE CRACK AND THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN SAFELY FUELED AND OF THE 'BLAME CONCERNS' OF THE REFUELER. THE REFUELER HAD ANNOTATED ON OUR REFUEL FORM THAT THE ACFT HAD ARRIVED WITH THE CRACK. THE CAPT DID NOT WRITE UP THE CRACK AT THAT TIME FOR WHATEVER REASON(S) I DON'T KNOW. I DID KNOW HE PLANNED ON WRITING IT UP AT DTW UPON ARR. UPON ARRIVING AT DTW; CAPT TOOK MAINT OUT TO REFUELING PANEL AND SHOWED THEM THE CRACK. WHEN I LATER SAW THE CAPT (AFTER 15 MINS) HE MENTIONED THE ACFT WAS IN NEED OF A LONG REPAIR TIME AT DTW HANGAR BECAUSE OF THE CRACKED BRACES. NEITHER THE CAPT NOR MYSELF EVER CONSIDERED THIS PROB A SAFETY CONCERN (ESPECIALLY FLT SAFETY). THE REFUELER THOUGHT SAFETY WAS NEVER IN QUESTION BECAUSE HE SUCCESSFULLY UPLOADED THE FUEL; AND THE REFUELING RECEPTACLE WAS SOLID -- LITTLE OR NO MOVEMENT TO THE STRUCTURE/PIPING. I CAN'T HONESTLY SAY WHY THE CAPT DID NOT WRITE UP THE CRACK. PERHAPS IT WAS TO WAIT FOR QUALIFIED MAINT TO WORK ON IT UPON ARR AT DTW. IN ANY CASE; WE SHOULD HAVE WRITTEN IT UP AT BUFFALO.