A B733 CAPT RPTED THAT HE CONTINUED TO PDX AFTER FINDING OUT THAT A PAX ON A PREVIOUS FLT RPTED SEEING A FATIGUE FRACTURE ON THE #1 ENG NACELLE.

Narrative

AFTER LEAVING THE GATE; ENRTE TO THE RWY FOR TKOF; WE WERE INFORMED BY OPS THAT A PAX THAT HAD RIDDEN ON THE ACFT 2 LEGS PRIOR TO THIS THOUGHT HE NOTICED A FATIGUE FRACTURE ON THE #1 ENG NACELLE. AS WE CONTINUED TO TAXI; WE WEIGHED OUR OPTIONS. OPS THEN CALLED BACK AND STATED THAT DISPATCH RECOMMENDED WE CONTINUE TO PDX AND HAVE MAINT CHK IT THERE. AS THE CAPT; I NORMALLY TRY TO GIVE ANY CONCERNS VOICED BY OUR CUSTOMERS AS HAVING AT LEAST ENOUGH CREDIBILITY TO CHK IT OUT. AS IT TURNED OUT; I HAD DONE THE WALKAROUND ON THIS ACFT MYSELF AND HADN'T NOTICED ANYTHING ABOUT THE ENG NACELLE; HOUSING OR COWLING. WE OPTED TO CONTINUE TO PDX. THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. WE HAD CONTRACT MAINT CHK THE #1 ENG HOUSING FOR ANY FRACTURES. OTHER THAN PAINT CRACKS; NONE WERE NOTED AND THE LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF WITH COMPANY MAINT AND DISPATCH IN THE LOOP. ALL TURNED OUT OK THIS TIME. BUT IN RETROSPECT; SINCE WE WERE STILL ON THE GND WHEN WE WERE MADE AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE PROB; I FEEL THAT I SHOULD HAVE TAXIED BACK TO THE GATE AND HAD THE APPROPRIATE CHKS ACCOMPLISHED THERE RATHER THAN CONTINUING ON TO PDX. EVEN THOUGH WE WERE RUNNING LATE; I'M SURE THAT THE PAX WOULD HAVE UNDERSTOOD AND APPRECIATED THE FACT THAT WE TAKE THEIR OBSERVATIONS SERIOUSLY.