Postflt inspection of medium large transport revealed panel missing from engine cowling.

Attributes
ACN	186363
Time
Date	199108
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : gso
State Reference	NC
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : parked ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 264 flight time total : 11017 flight time type : 8363
ASRS Report	186363
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Flight ewr-gso. Maintenance was working on aircraft because of fuel leak problem. First officer accomplished exterior preflight checklist. I accomplished interior checklists with first officer after maintenance was finished in cockpit saying electrical power could be used. Boarded passenger. Maintenance finished work outside aircraft. I had the copilot do another exterior inspection which he did. Pushed from gate. Flight was uneventful. Arrived at gso. As I was accomplishing exterior postflt, I noted a panel missing from #2 engine strut (mounting) outboard side as did the fueler. Size of missing panel approximately 10 inches by 18 inches. Logbook write up made and maintenance contacted. Subsequent flight was cancelled. Subsequent investigation of maintenance records indicated on the previous night work was done on that engine. I can only assume that the panel was there when we departed ewr gate as it would have been obvious if missing to fueler or during 1 of the 2 copilot exterior inspections. Copilot has 6 yrs as copilot or captain on this aircraft. It may not have been properly secured. From my point of view, I don't know what pilots could have done to prevent this situation other than to reemphasize taking sufficient time to accomplish thorough inspections (which in this case I feel was done).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: POSTFLT INSPECTION OF MLG REVEALED PANEL MISSING FROM ENG COWLING.

Narrative: FLT EWR-GSO. MAINT WAS WORKING ON ACFT BECAUSE OF FUEL LEAK PROBLEM. FO ACCOMPLISHED EXTERIOR PREFLT CHKLIST. I ACCOMPLISHED INTERIOR CHKLISTS WITH FO AFTER MAINT WAS FINISHED IN COCKPIT SAYING ELECTRICAL PWR COULD BE USED. BOARDED PAX. MAINT FINISHED WORK OUTSIDE ACFT. I HAD THE COPLT DO ANOTHER EXTERIOR INSPECTION WHICH HE DID. PUSHED FROM GATE. FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. ARRIVED AT GSO. AS I WAS ACCOMPLISHING EXTERIOR POSTFLT, I NOTED A PANEL MISSING FROM #2 ENG STRUT (MOUNTING) OUTBOARD SIDE AS DID THE FUELER. SIZE OF MISSING PANEL APPROX 10 INCHES BY 18 INCHES. LOGBOOK WRITE UP MADE AND MAINT CONTACTED. SUBSEQUENT FLT WAS CANCELLED. SUBSEQUENT INVESTIGATION OF MAINT RECORDS INDICATED ON THE PREVIOUS NIGHT WORK WAS DONE ON THAT ENG. I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THE PANEL WAS THERE WHEN WE DEPARTED EWR GATE AS IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OBVIOUS IF MISSING TO FUELER OR DURING 1 OF THE 2 COPLT EXTERIOR INSPECTIONS. COPLT HAS 6 YRS AS COPLT OR CAPT ON THIS ACFT. IT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN PROPERLY SECURED. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PLTS COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THIS SITUATION OTHER THAN TO REEMPHASIZE TAKING SUFFICIENT TIME TO ACCOMPLISH THOROUGH INSPECTIONS (WHICH IN THIS CASE I FEEL WAS DONE).

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.