Narrative:

On nov/mon/93 I received a phone call from an FAA inspector advising me I am under question for failure to do a preflight. Specifically, to notice screws missing from a panel on the aircraft. This was the first I was told of this situation. On the day in question, my first officer accomplished the exterior preflight of the aircraft while in attended to the cockpit setup and interior inspection. The first officer did not report finding any abnormality in his preflight to the exterior of the aircraft, as it was believed there were none. Supplemental information from acn 257585: this airplane had come out of maintenance in bgr on the morning of nov/mon/93 missing approximately 20 flush mounted lock screws that secure the trailing edge of a wing to fuselage fairing. The captain and I were apparently the second of 6 crews who flew this airplane over a 2-DAY period before this maintenance mistake was discovered by the FAA. This problem arose due to a shift change occurring at or around the time the fairing was being affixed to the airplane during a normal maintenance check.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR LTT CREW WAS NOTIFIED THAT THE FAA WAS INVESTIGATING THEIR PREFLT INSPECTION OF AN ACFT.

Narrative: ON NOV/MON/93 I RECEIVED A PHONE CALL FROM AN FAA INSPECTOR ADVISING ME I AM UNDER QUESTION FOR FAILURE TO DO A PREFLT. SPECIFICALLY, TO NOTICE SCREWS MISSING FROM A PANEL ON THE ACFT. THIS WAS THE FIRST I WAS TOLD OF THIS SIT. ON THE DAY IN QUESTION, MY FO ACCOMPLISHED THE EXTERIOR PREFLT OF THE ACFT WHILE IN ATTENDED TO THE COCKPIT SETUP AND INTERIOR INSPECTION. THE FO DID NOT RPT FINDING ANY ABNORMALITY IN HIS PREFLT TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT, AS IT WAS BELIEVED THERE WERE NONE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FROM ACN 257585: THIS AIRPLANE HAD COME OUT OF MAINT IN BGR ON THE MORNING OF NOV/MON/93 MISSING APPROX 20 FLUSH MOUNTED LOCK SCREWS THAT SECURE THE TRAILING EDGE OF A WING TO FUSELAGE FAIRING. THE CAPT AND I WERE APPARENTLY THE SECOND OF 6 CREWS WHO FLEW THIS AIRPLANE OVER A 2-DAY PERIOD BEFORE THIS MAINT MISTAKE WAS DISCOVERED BY THE FAA. THIS PROB AROSE DUE TO A SHIFT CHANGE OCCURRING AT OR AROUND THE TIME THE FAIRING WAS BEING AFFIXED TO THE AIRPLANE DURING A NORMAL MAINT CHK.

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.