Narrative:

The crew and I reported to the aircraft for a routine flight from dfw to oma. The first officer and I went to the cockpit and began our preflight duties while the first officer began his walkaround. Upon completion of his walkaround, the F/east came to the flight station to perform his cockpit checks and informed me maintenance was working on the aircraft. They were attempting to correct a fuel boost pump problem which required opening a small access panel on the underside of the left wing just aft of the leading edge. Just prior to pushback, the mechanic came into the cockpit and advised us they couldn't fix the problem and would placard the boost pump as per the mle. He took the log book and signed off the section as being completed, meaning they were all done working on the aircraft. I reviewed and initialed the log book, and soon after we departed, upon arrival in oma, we discovered the panel the mechanics had opened to access the boost pump was missing. I assume the panel came off in flight somewhere between dfw and oma. I am not sure of the anything the flight crew could have done to avoid this. I don't think it is feasible for flight crews to inspect maintenance work after it's done, nor in many cases, would we be qualified to do so.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR LGT LOST A FUEL BOOST PUMP ACCESS PANEL ENROUTE FROM DFW TO OMA. MECHANICS HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE BOOST PUMP BEFORE DEP.

Narrative: THE CREW AND I RPTED TO THE ACFT FOR A ROUTINE FLT FROM DFW TO OMA. THE F/O AND I WENT TO THE COCKPIT AND BEGAN OUR PREFLT DUTIES WHILE THE F/O BEGAN HIS WALKAROUND. UPON COMPLETION OF HIS WALKAROUND, THE F/E CAME TO THE FLT STATION TO PERFORM HIS COCKPIT CHKS AND INFORMED ME MAINT WAS WORKING ON THE ACFT. THEY WERE ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT A FUEL BOOST PUMP PROB WHICH REQUIRED OPENING A SMALL ACCESS PANEL ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE LEFT WING JUST AFT OF THE LEADING EDGE. JUST PRIOR TO PUSHBACK, THE MECH CAME INTO THE COCKPIT AND ADVISED US THEY COULDN'T FIX THE PROB AND WOULD PLACARD THE BOOST PUMP AS PER THE MLE. HE TOOK THE LOG BOOK AND SIGNED OFF THE SECTION AS BEING COMPLETED, MEANING THEY WERE ALL DONE WORKING ON THE ACFT. I REVIEWED AND INITIALED THE LOG BOOK, AND SOON AFTER WE DEPARTED, UPON ARR IN OMA, WE DISCOVERED THE PANEL THE MECHS HAD OPENED TO ACCESS THE BOOST PUMP WAS MISSING. I ASSUME THE PANEL CAME OFF IN FLT SOMEWHERE BTWN DFW AND OMA. I AM NOT SURE OF THE ANYTHING THE FLT CREW COULD HAVE DONE TO AVOID THIS. I DON'T THINK IT IS FEASIBLE FOR FLT CREWS TO INSPECT MAINT WORK AFTER IT'S DONE, NOR IN MANY CASES, WOULD WE BE QUALIFIED TO DO SO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.