Narrative:

I was assigned a work card by my lead to lube the elevator and rudder on a DC9-30. I completed that assignment at XA30 pm, and was approached by my lead at that time. He asked myself and several other mechanics on duty to 'pitch in' and help the men assigned to right hand wing close-up to finish closing up the bottom of the right hand wing. Giving the context of the request, or instructions, I assumed that the only remaining panels requiring close- up were those on the wing bottom. I personally closed up the flap actuator fairings and the bute doors. I did not close any leading edge wing panels. At approximately XB30 pm the lead approached the men initially assigned the wing close-up paperwork to another assignment, to retrieve the next scheduled c-chk aircraft from line maintenance. At approximately XC25 pm, the lead came to collect the paperwork. However the men originally given the paperwork were on another assignment, had left the paperwork on a work table in the area of the wing. All mechanics involved in the 'pitch in' to help close the right hand bottom wing panels believed the work assignment to be completed in its entirety. The lead requested that someone complete the paperwork and another mechanic stamped off the paperwork for the panels I had closed and I had mistakenly stamped off the paperwork for leading edge panels. Another contributing factor was that the leading edge slats were in the fully retracted position. The panel on the 'top side' of the wing was not visible. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter states the discrepancy was discovered at the gate when leading edge flaps were extended. The lack of a panel stands out like a sore thumb when the flaps are extended. The company has changed the final inspection with the leading edge flaps extended, not retracted as occurred in this incident. Reporter received disciplinary action because his stamp was on the paperwork for the upper panel installation. There were a handful of guys who worked on the installation but reporter got the discipline because he accepted the word of other people that the upper panels had been installed. The inspector also received some discipline as he too overlooked the lack of panel installation and signed off the work.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MECH RPT REGARDING LACK OF INSTALLATION OF WING PANELS WHICH WENT UNNOTICED BUT WAS SIGNED OFF.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED A WORK CARD BY MY LEAD TO LUBE THE ELEVATOR AND RUDDER ON A DC9-30. I COMPLETED THAT ASSIGNMENT AT XA30 PM, AND WAS APCHED BY MY LEAD AT THAT TIME. HE ASKED MYSELF AND SEVERAL OTHER MECHS ON DUTY TO 'PITCH IN' AND HELP THE MEN ASSIGNED TO R HAND WING CLOSE-UP TO FINISH CLOSING UP THE BOTTOM OF THE R HAND WING. GIVING THE CONTEXT OF THE REQUEST, OR INSTRUCTIONS, I ASSUMED THAT THE ONLY REMAINING PANELS REQUIRING CLOSE- UP WERE THOSE ON THE WING BOTTOM. I PERSONALLY CLOSED UP THE FLAP ACTUATOR FAIRINGS AND THE BUTE DOORS. I DID NOT CLOSE ANY LEADING EDGE WING PANELS. AT APPROX XB30 PM THE LEAD APCHED THE MEN INITIALLY ASSIGNED THE WING CLOSE-UP PAPERWORK TO ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT, TO RETRIEVE THE NEXT SCHEDULED C-CHK ACFT FROM LINE MAINT. AT APPROX XC25 PM, THE LEAD CAME TO COLLECT THE PAPERWORK. HOWEVER THE MEN ORIGINALLY GIVEN THE PAPERWORK WERE ON ANOTHER ASSIGNMENT, HAD LEFT THE PAPERWORK ON A WORK TABLE IN THE AREA OF THE WING. ALL MECHS INVOLVED IN THE 'PITCH IN' TO HELP CLOSE THE R HAND BOTTOM WING PANELS BELIEVED THE WORK ASSIGNMENT TO BE COMPLETED IN ITS ENTIRETY. THE LEAD REQUESTED THAT SOMEONE COMPLETE THE PAPERWORK AND ANOTHER MECH STAMPED OFF THE PAPERWORK FOR THE PANELS I HAD CLOSED AND I HAD MISTAKENLY STAMPED OFF THE PAPERWORK FOR LEADING EDGE PANELS. ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR WAS THAT THE LEADING EDGE SLATS WERE IN THE FULLY RETRACTED POS. THE PANEL ON THE 'TOP SIDE' OF THE WING WAS NOT VISIBLE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THE DISCREPANCY WAS DISCOVERED AT THE GATE WHEN LEADING EDGE FLAPS WERE EXTENDED. THE LACK OF A PANEL STANDS OUT LIKE A SORE THUMB WHEN THE FLAPS ARE EXTENDED. THE COMPANY HAS CHANGED THE FINAL INSPECTION WITH THE LEADING EDGE FLAPS EXTENDED, NOT RETRACTED AS OCCURRED IN THIS INCIDENT. RPTR RECEIVED DISCIPLINARY ACTION BECAUSE HIS STAMP WAS ON THE PAPERWORK FOR THE UPPER PANEL INSTALLATION. THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF GUYS WHO WORKED ON THE INSTALLATION BUT RPTR GOT THE DISCIPLINE BECAUSE HE ACCEPTED THE WORD OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT THE UPPER PANELS HAD BEEN INSTALLED. THE INSPECTOR ALSO RECEIVED SOME DISCIPLINE AS HE TOO OVERLOOKED THE LACK OF PANEL INSTALLATION AND SIGNED OFF THE WORK.

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.