EMB ERJ 145 ER/LR
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 4600; Flight Crew Type 4100
Training / Qualification; Distraction
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General None Reported / Taken
Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Procedure
Upon arrival we met with the out bound crew to hand off the aircraft. The First Officer who preflighted the aircraft for his leg found some metallic tape covering the pitot static port on the right side of the aircraft. I assume I had missed this on previous preflight inspections and am not sure when or where this tape was adhered to the aircraft. I was in the same airplane for four flight segments. If it was put on the aircraft by Maintenance or maliciously; I am unaware. There were no inflight abnormalities or any change to the instrumentation so we were unaware of why we did not have any other issues with the ports being covered. If it was Maintenance that placed the tape there they should have used approved pitot static covers or colored tape. The aluminum colored tape is the same color of the port and very hard to see.
An EMB-145 First Officer was notified that silver colored speed tape was discovered covering the First Officer static ports of an aircraft he had preflighted and flown on a series of flights after it was released that morning following overnight maintenance.