A320 FLT CREW DURING PREFLT OBSERVES AN ECAM MESSAGE 'F/CTL FLAPS 1 FAULT.' CAPT REQUESTS RAMP PERSONNEL CLR THE ACFT AREA AND ACTIVATES THE HYD AND SELECTS FLAPS IN AN ATTEMPT TO CLR THE MESSAGE. ACFT DAMAGE WAS INCURRED.

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UPON ARR FROM FLT PLANNING; I NOTICED AN ECAM 'F/CTL FLAPS 1 FAULT.' THIS HAPPENED TO ME A FEW MONTHS AGO; AND MAINT HAD ME PWR THE HYDS AND CYCLE THE FLAP HANDLE WHICH CLRED IT. TO EXPEDITE THINGS; I CALLED THE OMA STATION AND ASKED THEM TO SEND SOMEONE OUT TO THE RAMP AND CLR THE AREA; THAT I WAS GOING TO PWR THE HYDS; AND LET ME KNOW WITH A THUMBS UP. I SAW A RAMP PERSON; LOOK TO HIS L; AND R AND GIVE ME A THUMBS UP SIGNAL. AT THAT POINT I LOOKED DOWN TO THE ECAM TO SEE IF THE 'REFUELING' MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. IT WAS NOT; SO I TURNED ON THE ELECTRIC HYD PUMP; AND LOWERED THE FLAP HANDLE TO POS #1; AND BACK TO UP POS. FO CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND INFORMED ME THAT THE FUELING PANEL DOOR HAD BEEN CRUSHED. OBVIOUSLY THE DOOR WAS OPEN; AND FOR SOME REASON IT WAS NOT SHOWING UP AS A STATUS MESSAGE. I IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED THE MAINT; DISPATCH AND ALPA. A CONTRACT MECH WAS CALLED OUT TO INSPECT. HE SAID THAT THERE WAS NO DAMAGE TO THE FLAPS. SLATS HAD A MINOR DENT; THAT HE COULD FIX BUT HE PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO REMOVE THE FUELING PANEL DOOR. AS TO WHY THE 'REFUELING' MESSAGE WAS NOT DISPLAYED; MECH RESET A COUPLE OF CIRCUIT BREAKERS AND THE MESSAGE APPEARED. EVEN THE CONTRACT MECH WAS SURPRISED WHEN IT POPPED UP. WHEN I ASKED THE STATION PERSONNEL TO CLR THE AREA FOR HYD PWR UP; THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NO ONE; OR EQUIP AROUND THE AIRPLANE; BECAUSE A FLT CTL SURFACE; OR EVEN A CARGO DOOR WILL BE PWRED. IT CAN CAUSE INJURY; OR DAMAGE TO EQUIP; AS IT DID IN OUR CASE TODAY. LUCKILY THERE WAS NO INJURY.