DC9-30 crew had an air turn-back because a flap panel access door was not closed prior to flight.

Attributes
ACN	557587
Time
Date	200208
Day	Tue
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	DC-9 30
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 24
ASRS Report	557587
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	controller : provided flight assist controller : issued new clearance flight crew : diverted to another airport flight crew : landed as precaution none taken : detected after the fact other
Consequence	other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure contributing factor : work cards performance deficiency : inspection performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : installation
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft Company
Primary Problem	Maintenance Human Performance

Narrative:

Myself and another technician were assigned a work order that involved repairing a bracket on inboard flap hinge fairing. Inboard butte door was down to facilitate this maintenance and also either a fuel leak or spar inspection or both. I do not know at this point. We completed the flap inboard hinge bracket, and secured the right inboard butte door inboard of the inboard flap hinge. This was the only butte door down -- all other butte doors were up. I did not inspect these doors for security. I assumed they were put up on another work order.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: DC9-30 CREW HAD AN AIR TURN-BACK BECAUSE A FLAP PANEL ACCESS DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED PRIOR TO FLT.

Narrative: MYSELF AND ANOTHER TECHNICIAN WERE ASSIGNED A WORK ORDER THAT INVOLVED REPAIRING A BRACKET ON INBOARD FLAP HINGE FAIRING. INBOARD BUTTE DOOR WAS DOWN TO FACILITATE THIS MAINT AND ALSO EITHER A FUEL LEAK OR SPAR INSPECTION OR BOTH. I DO NOT KNOW AT THIS POINT. WE COMPLETED THE FLAP INBOARD HINGE BRACKET, AND SECURED THE R INBOARD BUTTE DOOR INBOARD OF THE INBOARD FLAP HINGE. THIS WAS THE ONLY BUTTE DOOR DOWN -- ALL OTHER BUTTE DOORS WERE UP. I DID NOT INSPECT THESE DOORS FOR SECURITY. I ASSUMED THEY WERE PUT UP ON ANOTHER WORK ORDER.

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.