Narrative:

On may/fri/03, I began working on aircraft X which was down for 2 days due to 4000 cycle cards. I received a form to begin working on and it was to change the #1 engine fire-extinguishing bottle due to a time change. I gained access to the bottle by opening the aft rigging bay door. After performing the task, I resecured the door by closing it and locking all of the quarter-turn fasteners. I then began to do the paperwork. I began filling out the form and when I got to the block for the inspectors to sign if the job was rii (required FAA mandatory inspection item), noticed the rii block on the form was not circled either 'yes' or 'no.' unsure whether changing the engine fire-extinguishing bottle was rii, I then went to my lead, to ask him. He also seemed unsure and he and supervisor looked in the gmm for a task card that an inspector might need to stamp. Neither of them could find one, so I went to inspector X and asked him if he needed to look at the work that I had done. He circled the rii block 'yes' and told me to leave the panel open and he would take a look at it but that he was busy at the moment. I told inspector X that I had already resecured the door, and he told me to open the panel and he would take a look at it. I then opened the door and even turned the light on inside to make sure that even if the door accidentally closed, the door would need to be opened for the light to be turned off. After I opened the door, I put the form on the clipboard with the other task cards that needed to be stamped by an inspector. I then went to my lead for the next job he had for me to do figuring that inspector X would either close the door himself, or ask me to close the door. I began working on the job, which took the remainder of the night, and when my shift ended, I went home. I went to work on jun/sun/03, to find that aircraft X was returning for repair due to the aft rigging bay door blown off during its first flight to ZZZ1. The door was discovered missing on the postflt walkaround at ZZZ1. Knowing that I had worked in that area 2 days prior, I talked to supervisor about what had happened. I also asked lead technician about the incident and he said that he did 2 walkarounds before he released the aircraft, and he said the door was closed and secured both times. One reason I believe that this incident occurred is because inspector X inspected the work, turned the light off, closed the door, but failed to lock the fasteners with a screwdriver, or ask me or another mechanic to lock the door.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN EMBRAER 135 WAS DISPATCHED IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE AFT RIGGING BAY DOOR FASTENERS NOT SECURED. DOOR DEPARTED ACFT INFLT.

Narrative: ON MAY/FRI/03, I BEGAN WORKING ON ACFT X WHICH WAS DOWN FOR 2 DAYS DUE TO 4000 CYCLE CARDS. I RECEIVED A FORM TO BEGIN WORKING ON AND IT WAS TO CHANGE THE #1 ENG FIRE-EXTINGUISHING BOTTLE DUE TO A TIME CHANGE. I GAINED ACCESS TO THE BOTTLE BY OPENING THE AFT RIGGING BAY DOOR. AFTER PERFORMING THE TASK, I RESECURED THE DOOR BY CLOSING IT AND LOCKING ALL OF THE QUARTER-TURN FASTENERS. I THEN BEGAN TO DO THE PAPERWORK. I BEGAN FILLING OUT THE FORM AND WHEN I GOT TO THE BLOCK FOR THE INSPECTORS TO SIGN IF THE JOB WAS RII (REQUIRED FAA MANDATORY INSPECTION ITEM), NOTICED THE RII BLOCK ON THE FORM WAS NOT CIRCLED EITHER 'YES' OR 'NO.' UNSURE WHETHER CHANGING THE ENG FIRE-EXTINGUISHING BOTTLE WAS RII, I THEN WENT TO MY LEAD, TO ASK HIM. HE ALSO SEEMED UNSURE AND HE AND SUPVR LOOKED IN THE GMM FOR A TASK CARD THAT AN INSPECTOR MIGHT NEED TO STAMP. NEITHER OF THEM COULD FIND ONE, SO I WENT TO INSPECTOR X AND ASKED HIM IF HE NEEDED TO LOOK AT THE WORK THAT I HAD DONE. HE CIRCLED THE RII BLOCK 'YES' AND TOLD ME TO LEAVE THE PANEL OPEN AND HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT BUT THAT HE WAS BUSY AT THE MOMENT. I TOLD INSPECTOR X THAT I HAD ALREADY RESECURED THE DOOR, AND HE TOLD ME TO OPEN THE PANEL AND HE WOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT. I THEN OPENED THE DOOR AND EVEN TURNED THE LIGHT ON INSIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN IF THE DOOR ACCIDENTALLY CLOSED, THE DOOR WOULD NEED TO BE OPENED FOR THE LIGHT TO BE TURNED OFF. AFTER I OPENED THE DOOR, I PUT THE FORM ON THE CLIPBOARD WITH THE OTHER TASK CARDS THAT NEEDED TO BE STAMPED BY AN INSPECTOR. I THEN WENT TO MY LEAD FOR THE NEXT JOB HE HAD FOR ME TO DO FIGURING THAT INSPECTOR X WOULD EITHER CLOSE THE DOOR HIMSELF, OR ASK ME TO CLOSE THE DOOR. I BEGAN WORKING ON THE JOB, WHICH TOOK THE REMAINDER OF THE NIGHT, AND WHEN MY SHIFT ENDED, I WENT HOME. I WENT TO WORK ON JUN/SUN/03, TO FIND THAT ACFT X WAS RETURNING FOR REPAIR DUE TO THE AFT RIGGING BAY DOOR BLOWN OFF DURING ITS FIRST FLT TO ZZZ1. THE DOOR WAS DISCOVERED MISSING ON THE POSTFLT WALKAROUND AT ZZZ1. KNOWING THAT I HAD WORKED IN THAT AREA 2 DAYS PRIOR, I TALKED TO SUPVR ABOUT WHAT HAD HAPPENED. I ALSO ASKED LEAD TECHNICIAN ABOUT THE INCIDENT AND HE SAID THAT HE DID 2 WALKAROUNDS BEFORE HE RELEASED THE ACFT, AND HE SAID THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND SECURED BOTH TIMES. ONE REASON I BELIEVE THAT THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IS BECAUSE INSPECTOR X INSPECTED THE WORK, TURNED THE LIGHT OFF, CLOSED THE DOOR, BUT FAILED TO LOCK THE FASTENERS WITH A SCREWDRIVER, OR ASK ME OR ANOTHER MECH TO LOCK THE DOOR.

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.