Narrative:

After I had completed my assigned aircraft that night, I proceeded to the so-called broken aircraft (xyz), which was an extra overnight aircraft due to cancellation from service because of several log squawks. I talked with the mechanic who was working the aircraft at the time about what was left to be worked on. After a discussion, I told him I would work the 'left wing body overheat' problem. I proceeded to the shop to check on the history of this problem. I saw that this was a repeat problem (intermittent) that went back as far as mar/97. Judging from the number of mechanics that have checked this problem out and the inbound squawk, I was convinced this was an indication problem. Therefore, I wanted to check, as much as possible, all the associated detectors, aircraft wiring and connectors. I started checking at the left pylon area, across the left leading edge, and down to the left pack bay area. After the pack bay, I went to the keel beam area and opened the access panels to check that area. These are the panels that were found missing and thus what this incident is about. From the keel beam area I went to the aft cargo compartment and opened that area. From the cargo compartment I went into the tail compartment and there I found an aircraft wire chafing against the aircraft structure. The wire was going to an overheat detector in the tail compartment. At this point I was pretty sure that this was the problem. Instead of closing all the panels I had opened, I proceeded to repair the wire. After repairing the wire I came out of the tail section and asked the other mechanic working the aircraft if he closed up the panels I had opened. He said he did. After learning of this incident, I talked with that mechanic and he said he was unaware that I had opened the keel beam area, and thought I was talking about the aft cargo compartment and pack bay. I just assumed he closed all panels. I still understand it was my responsibility to check for full closure on anything I opened.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-200 WAS DELIVERED TO A GATE FOR DISPATCH WITH THE KEEL BEAM ACCESS PANELS MISSING.

Narrative: AFTER I HAD COMPLETED MY ASSIGNED ACFT THAT NIGHT, I PROCEEDED TO THE SO-CALLED BROKEN ACFT (XYZ), WHICH WAS AN EXTRA OVERNIGHT ACFT DUE TO CANCELLATION FROM SVC BECAUSE OF SEVERAL LOG SQUAWKS. I TALKED WITH THE MECH WHO WAS WORKING THE ACFT AT THE TIME ABOUT WHAT WAS LEFT TO BE WORKED ON. AFTER A DISCUSSION, I TOLD HIM I WOULD WORK THE 'L WING BODY OVERHEAT' PROB. I PROCEEDED TO THE SHOP TO CHK ON THE HISTORY OF THIS PROB. I SAW THAT THIS WAS A REPEAT PROB (INTERMITTENT) THAT WENT BACK AS FAR AS MAR/97. JUDGING FROM THE NUMBER OF MECHS THAT HAVE CHKED THIS PROB OUT AND THE INBOUND SQUAWK, I WAS CONVINCED THIS WAS AN INDICATION PROB. THEREFORE, I WANTED TO CHK, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, ALL THE ASSOCIATED DETECTORS, ACFT WIRING AND CONNECTORS. I STARTED CHKING AT THE L PYLON AREA, ACROSS THE L LEADING EDGE, AND DOWN TO THE L PACK BAY AREA. AFTER THE PACK BAY, I WENT TO THE KEEL BEAM AREA AND OPENED THE ACCESS PANELS TO CHK THAT AREA. THESE ARE THE PANELS THAT WERE FOUND MISSING AND THUS WHAT THIS INCIDENT IS ABOUT. FROM THE KEEL BEAM AREA I WENT TO THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT AND OPENED THAT AREA. FROM THE CARGO COMPARTMENT I WENT INTO THE TAIL COMPARTMENT AND THERE I FOUND AN ACFT WIRE CHAFING AGAINST THE ACFT STRUCTURE. THE WIRE WAS GOING TO AN OVERHEAT DETECTOR IN THE TAIL COMPARTMENT. AT THIS POINT I WAS PRETTY SURE THAT THIS WAS THE PROB. INSTEAD OF CLOSING ALL THE PANELS I HAD OPENED, I PROCEEDED TO REPAIR THE WIRE. AFTER REPAIRING THE WIRE I CAME OUT OF THE TAIL SECTION AND ASKED THE OTHER MECH WORKING THE ACFT IF HE CLOSED UP THE PANELS I HAD OPENED. HE SAID HE DID. AFTER LEARNING OF THIS INCIDENT, I TALKED WITH THAT MECH AND HE SAID HE WAS UNAWARE THAT I HAD OPENED THE KEEL BEAM AREA, AND THOUGHT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE AFT CARGO COMPARTMENT AND PACK BAY. I JUST ASSUMED HE CLOSED ALL PANELS. I STILL UNDERSTAND IT WAS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CHK FOR FULL CLOSURE ON ANYTHING I OPENED.

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.