A SAAB 340B PILOT WAS INFORMED BY THE GROUND PERSON; AFTER WAVING-IN THEIR ACFT TO THE GATE; THAT A STRAP WAS HANGING ON THE NLG STRUT.

Narrative

AFTER LNDG IN ZZZ ON OUR LAST LEG AND THE LAST FLT OF THE NIGHT AND SHUTTING DOWN THE ACFT AND DEPLANING THE PAX ON THE JETBRIDGE; I STARTED TO GO OUTSIDE TO PERFORM MY POSTFLT INSPECTION. AS I WAS STARTING TO GO DOWN THE JETBRIDGE STAIRS; ONE OF OUR GND PERSONNEL THERE INFORMED ME ABOUT WHAT APPEARED TO BE A STRAP HANGING ON THE NOSE GEAR. HE SAID HE NOTICED IT WHILE MARSHALLING US IN AND IT JUST LOOKED STRANGE TO HIM. AS SOON AS I SAW IT I KNEW IT WAS A STRAP FROM THE PUSHBACK TUG IN ZZZ. THE STRAP WAS WRAPPED AROUND THE STRUT AND ON TOP OF THE HUB BTWN THE TIRES WITH THE 2 METAL CLIPS OR RINGS FACING OUT TOWARDS THE NOSE. I PULLED THE STRAP OFF AND THE LABEL ON IT CONFIRMED MY SUSPICION. USING THE FLASHLIGHT; I INSPECTED THE TIRES FOR ANY SIGN OF DAMAGE AND REALLY COULD NOT SEE ANY. I ALSO CHKED THE HUB AS WELL AND FOUND SOME MISSING PAINT ON ONE OF THE RIMS BUT AGAIN COULD NOT SEE ANY REAL DAMAGE. I COMPLETED MY POSTFLT INSPECTION AND RETURNED TO THE AIRPLANE TO INFORM THE GND PERSONNEL OF THE SITUATION AND OF A POSSIBLE DELAY FOR THE MORNING FLT. ALSO; I WANTED TO LET THEM KNOW I HAD TO WRITE THIS UP EVEN THOUGH I COULD NOT SEE ANY SIGNIFICANT DAMAGE; AN INSPECTION WAS GOING TO BE NEEDED BEFORE THE ACFT WAS READY FOR SVC. I CALLED DISPATCH AND HAD THEM PATCH ME OVER TO MAINT CTL AND TOLD THEM OF THE PROB AND GAVE THEM A JOB CARD NUMBER AND THE DESCRIPTION. DURING THE FLT WE DID NOT NOTICE ANY NOISES COMING FROM THE NOSE GEAR AND I DID NOT NOTICE ANY HANDLING DIFFERENCES DURING TAXI; TKOF; OR LNDG. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THIS STRAP IS USED TO SECURE THE NLG TO THE BATTERY OPERATED TUG FRONT PLATE AS THE NLG IS RAISED OFF THE GROUND. THIS ALLOWS THE GROUND CREW TO HAVE TOTAL CONTROL OF THE ACFT WHILE DOING PUSHBACKS OR TOW-INS AND NOT HAVE TO DISCONNECT OR BE CONCERNED WITH EXCEEDING THE NLG TURN RADIUS. REPORTER ALSO STATED HE WAS AMAZED THIS STRAP DIDN'T BEAT ITSELF TO SHREDS ON APPROACH WHEN THEY EXTENDED THE NOSE GEAR AND WERE DOING APPROX 160-170 KNOTS. THE FACT THAT 'NO' DAMAGE WAS FOUND ON THE NLG WAS EVEN MORE SURPRISING.