Narrative:

I was to perform a test flight on our citation ii along with my copilot and the company maintenance person. Our maintenance person was looking for a pressurization leak on the right engine. We preflted the plane as normal knowing that the right lower engine cover was to be removed for the leak check. We discussed that we would run the right engine and the maintenance person would be in front of the aircraft when it was started. Then the maintenance person would walk to the right engine and perform the leak check. If it passed; the maintenance person would return the lower engine cover to the engine and walk around to the front of the plane and give us thumbs up meaning that everything was back in place and that we could perform the flight test. The maintenance person performed the leak test and walked to the front of the plane with his thumbs up. He then proceeded to the side door and opened it up and got into the plane. We reconfirmed with him that we were all set for the flight test. He said all set to go. He closed the cabin door and sat down inside the aircraft; as we started the left engine. We completed start checks and taxi checks and before takeoff checks. We taxied out to the runway and took off. As we were climbing through 12500 ft to start the test flight on the pressurization system; the maintenance person told me that he could not remember if he replaced the lower engine cover. The plane was flying fine and there were no unusual noises that I could hear that would tell me that that cover was not on. The maintenance person could not see from inside the plane to tell me if the cover was on. We returned to the airport; landed; and taxied back to the maintenance hangar. We found that the lower cover was never put back on the engine like he said it was before we took off. A senior maintenance person checked and inspected the engine and there was no damage at all to the engine or airframe. This was scary for me because I did preflight the plane 2 times that day knowing that the only thing the maintenance guy had to do was to replace that cover while we kept the engine running while he performed a leak check on a perry seal. We talked about how he was going to replace the cover; while we ran the engines for the leak test. We asked him when he came on board the aircraft if we were all set to go. He was in the plane when we taxied out to the runway for takeoff. I trusted our maintenance person to do what he said he was going to do.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CE550 DURING GND TEST ON R ENG LOWER COWLING WAS REMOVED. ACFT WAS THEN FLT TESTED WITH LOWER COWLING INADVERTENTLY NOT INSTALLED.

Narrative: I WAS TO PERFORM A TEST FLT ON OUR CITATION II ALONG WITH MY COPLT AND THE COMPANY MAINT PERSON. OUR MAINT PERSON WAS LOOKING FOR A PRESSURIZATION LEAK ON THE R ENG. WE PREFLTED THE PLANE AS NORMAL KNOWING THAT THE R LOWER ENG COVER WAS TO BE REMOVED FOR THE LEAK CHK. WE DISCUSSED THAT WE WOULD RUN THE R ENG AND THE MAINT PERSON WOULD BE IN FRONT OF THE ACFT WHEN IT WAS STARTED. THEN THE MAINT PERSON WOULD WALK TO THE R ENG AND PERFORM THE LEAK CHK. IF IT PASSED; THE MAINT PERSON WOULD RETURN THE LOWER ENG COVER TO THE ENG AND WALK AROUND TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE AND GIVE US THUMBS UP MEANING THAT EVERYTHING WAS BACK IN PLACE AND THAT WE COULD PERFORM THE FLT TEST. THE MAINT PERSON PERFORMED THE LEAK TEST AND WALKED TO THE FRONT OF THE PLANE WITH HIS THUMBS UP. HE THEN PROCEEDED TO THE SIDE DOOR AND OPENED IT UP AND GOT INTO THE PLANE. WE RECONFIRMED WITH HIM THAT WE WERE ALL SET FOR THE FLT TEST. HE SAID ALL SET TO GO. HE CLOSED THE CABIN DOOR AND SAT DOWN INSIDE THE ACFT; AS WE STARTED THE L ENG. WE COMPLETED START CHKS AND TAXI CHKS AND BEFORE TKOF CHKS. WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY AND TOOK OFF. AS WE WERE CLBING THROUGH 12500 FT TO START THE TEST FLT ON THE PRESSURIZATION SYS; THE MAINT PERSON TOLD ME THAT HE COULD NOT REMEMBER IF HE REPLACED THE LOWER ENG COVER. THE PLANE WAS FLYING FINE AND THERE WERE NO UNUSUAL NOISES THAT I COULD HEAR THAT WOULD TELL ME THAT THAT COVER WAS NOT ON. THE MAINT PERSON COULD NOT SEE FROM INSIDE THE PLANE TO TELL ME IF THE COVER WAS ON. WE RETURNED TO THE ARPT; LANDED; AND TAXIED BACK TO THE MAINT HANGAR. WE FOUND THAT THE LOWER COVER WAS NEVER PUT BACK ON THE ENG LIKE HE SAID IT WAS BEFORE WE TOOK OFF. A SENIOR MAINT PERSON CHKED AND INSPECTED THE ENG AND THERE WAS NO DAMAGE AT ALL TO THE ENG OR AIRFRAME. THIS WAS SCARY FOR ME BECAUSE I DID PREFLT THE PLANE 2 TIMES THAT DAY KNOWING THAT THE ONLY THING THE MAINT GUY HAD TO DO WAS TO REPLACE THAT COVER WHILE WE KEPT THE ENG RUNNING WHILE HE PERFORMED A LEAK CHK ON A PERRY SEAL. WE TALKED ABOUT HOW HE WAS GOING TO REPLACE THE COVER; WHILE WE RAN THE ENGS FOR THE LEAK TEST. WE ASKED HIM WHEN HE CAME ON BOARD THE ACFT IF WE WERE ALL SET TO GO. HE WAS IN THE PLANE WHEN WE TAXIED OUT TO THE RWY FOR TKOF. I TRUSTED OUR MAINT PERSON TO DO WHAT HE SAID HE WAS GOING TO DO.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.