What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
On 30 August 2022/1915L, privacy data omittedarrived ksjc and taxied to parking, where it remained until 1 September 2022. No inflight issues were reported to ATC by the flight crew. Company amts and the flightcrew performed a post-flight inspection, but did not report any anomalies. Post-flight would have occurred at or near local sunset. At 0800 on 1 September, during flightcrew walkaround inspection, damage was discovered to the left (#1) engine thrust reverser translating cowl on the inboard lower side. Damage consisted of two parallel slashes roughly along the longitudinal axis of the nacelle. The slashes were approximately 9 to 11 inches long and approx. 6 inches apart. Further inspection revealed what appeared to be rubber smears on the underside of the left wing aft of the engine and the inboard flap track fairing also exhibited scratches. No debris was found underneath the engine, nor were any other marks discovered. Damage is consistent with an inflight collision with an object - likely a drone. Pod strike and collision with ground vehicle was considered and excluded by the evidence. Operations at ksjc, phog (the point of last depart), and kbfi (the 2nd to last departure point) were contacted and reported no debris discovered during runway sweeps. It is not known where the strike occurred, but was likely during approach to ksjc.
As the FAA filed it
ON 30 AUGUST 2022/1915L, ^PRIVACY DATA OMITTED^ARRIVED KSJC AND TAXIED TO PARKING, WHERE IT REMAINED UNTIL 1 SEPTEMBER 2022. NO INFLIGHT ISSUES WERE REPORTED TO ATC BY THE FLIGHT CREW. COMPANY AMTS AND THE FLIGHTCREW PERFORMED A POST-FLIGHT INSPECTION, BUT DID NOT REPORT ANY ANOMALIES. POST-FLIGHT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED AT OR NEAR LOCAL SUNSET. AT 0800 ON 1 SEPTEMBER, DURING FLIGHTCREW WALKAROUND INSPECTION, DAMAGE WAS DISCOVERED TO THE LEFT (#1) ENGINE THRUST REVERSER TRANSLATING COWL ON THE INBOARD LOWER SIDE. DAMAGE CONSISTED OF TWO PARALLEL SLASHES ROUGHLY ALONG THE LONGITUDINAL AXIS OF THE NACELLE. THE SLASHES WERE APPROXIMATELY 9 TO 11 INCHES LONG AND APPROX. 6 INCHES APART. FURTHER INSPECTION REVEALED WHAT APPEARED TO BE RUBBER SMEARS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING AFT OF THE ENGINE AND THE INBOARD FLAP TRACK FAIRING ALSO EXHIBITED SCRATCHES. NO DEBRIS WAS FOUND UNDERNEATH THE ENGINE, NOR WERE ANY OTHER MARKS DISCOVERED. DAMAGE IS CONSISTENT WITH AN INFLIGHT COLLISION WITH AN OBJECT - LIKELY A DRONE. POD STRIKE AND COLLISION WITH GROUND VEHICLE WAS CONSIDERED AND EXCLUDED BY THE EVIDENCE. OPERATIONS AT KSJC, PHOG (THE POINT OF LAST DEPART), AND KBFI (THE 2ND TO LAST DEPARTURE POINT) WERE CONTACTED AND REPORTED NO DEBRIS DISCOVERED DURING RUNWAY SWEEPS. IT IS NOT KNOWN WHERE THE STRIKE OCCURRED, BUT WAS LIKELY DURING APPROACH TO KSJC.