Aircraft equipment problem loose and missing screws found on an FAA ramp check.

Attributes
ACN	295926
Time
Date	199502
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : yul
State Reference	PQ
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Beech 1900
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 135
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : cfi pilot : instrument
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	295926
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	other
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During our ground time in yul, FAA inspectors ramp checked our aircraft. 1 inspector found loose screws on 1 inspection panel (noticed screws were no flush) and loose screws and 2 screws missing on another panel. Loose screws were tightened and aircraft allowed to depart. Aircraft has about 17000 hours and about 30000 cycles. A typical beech has several hundred screws and dozens of panels all around the aircraft. With aircraft swaps coupled with short turns, adequate preflts become problematical even when time permits, checking to ensure screws are tight would be an exhaustive and a high time procedure. This type of inspection is what we have maintenance for, not an item on a pilot's external preflight checklist. With a beechcraft 1900's low ground clearance, some panels could only be adequately checked by a person lying on his back and looking up at the bottom of the fuselage. I know safety is ultimate, but let's not get so carried away as making pilots carry tools around with them to check the integrity of their aircraft.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT EQUIP PROB LOOSE AND MISSING SCREWS FOUND ON AN FAA RAMP CHK.

Narrative: DURING OUR GND TIME IN YUL, FAA INSPECTORS RAMP CHKED OUR ACFT. 1 INSPECTOR FOUND LOOSE SCREWS ON 1 INSPECTION PANEL (NOTICED SCREWS WERE NO FLUSH) AND LOOSE SCREWS AND 2 SCREWS MISSING ON ANOTHER PANEL. LOOSE SCREWS WERE TIGHTENED AND ACFT ALLOWED TO DEPART. ACFT HAS ABOUT 17000 HRS AND ABOUT 30000 CYCLES. A TYPICAL BEECH HAS SEVERAL HUNDRED SCREWS AND DOZENS OF PANELS ALL AROUND THE ACFT. WITH ACFT SWAPS COUPLED WITH SHORT TURNS, ADEQUATE PREFLTS BECOME PROBLEMATICAL EVEN WHEN TIME PERMITS, CHKING TO ENSURE SCREWS ARE TIGHT WOULD BE AN EXHAUSTIVE AND A HIGH TIME PROC. THIS TYPE OF INSPECTION IS WHAT WE HAVE MAINT FOR, NOT AN ITEM ON A PLT'S EXTERNAL PREFLT CHKLIST. WITH A BEECHCRAFT 1900'S LOW GND CLRNC, SOME PANELS COULD ONLY BE ADEQUATELY CHKED BY A PERSON LYING ON HIS BACK AND LOOKING UP AT THE BOTTOM OF THE FUSELAGE. I KNOW SAFETY IS ULTIMATE, BUT LET'S NOT GET SO CARRIED AWAY AS MAKING PLTS CARRY TOOLS AROUND WITH THEM TO CHK THE INTEGRITY OF THEIR ACFT.

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.