Narrative:

Left wing trailing edge panels for a flap actuator inspection were only partially removed for an A13 inspection and stamped open on the panel card by second shift. No one on third shift was aware that only some of the screws had been removed from the panel and the panel was still installed on the aircraft with the remaining screws. When it came to the end of the 'a' check; the inspector on duty came to me and asked who closed the panels because they were not stamped off but the panels were installed on the aircraft. I thought that second shift had reinstalled them and forgot to stamp the panel card; which has happened in the past when we have had seconds help us out on 'a' checks. I went out to the aircraft and looked under the wing; saw the panels on the aircraft and stamped the panel card for those panels as closed. I never did climb under the wing to get close enough to ensure that all the screws were in the panel. I wasn't aware that someone had only removed some of the screws and not all of them when the panel was stamped open. The aircraft left for revenue service on the morning flight to ZZZ. That afternoon I received a call at home from the maintenance supervisor on duty in ZZZ saying they found a bag of screws sitting in the hangar and the second shift technician recognized them as the ones removed from the panels on the left wing. I told the supervisor that the aircraft needed to be checked because I was unaware that only some of the screws were removed and I had not verified that all the screws were in the panel; I just looked to see that the panel was installed. The aircraft was between flts in ZZZ1 at the time where ZZZ1 maintenance verified that the screws were missing from the panels. The aircraft was then removed from service to install screws in the panel. After further information was provided to me; the panels that were involved were on the lower flap leading edge; not the wing trailing edge. We only had 2 technicians on duty and 2 leads; but planning said the 'a' check was a must-do; along with some maintenance on the other 3 aircraft also coming that night. So right from the start we were swamped. Running a little behind in the morning; as expected; the inspector came to me with the panel card and said no one had signed for some panels. The aircraft was about to be pulled out for engine runs; so I ran out to the plane; looked under the wing; saw the panels were on the plane and assumed second shift installed them but forgot to sign them off so I stamped the card. Never assume anything. Also; if someone doesn't remove a panel completely; a write-up should be generated stating that; not just signing the panel open on the panel card; or it should be stated in the shift turnover and a red tag installed on the panel that is still on the aircraft.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAD MECHANIC DESCRIBES THE EVENTS THAT FOLLOWED AFTER THE LEFT WING T/E PANELS FOR A FLAP ACTUATOR INSPECTION; WERE ONLY PARTIALLY REMOVED; BUT STAMPED 'OPEN;' ON THE PANEL REMOVAL CARD FOR A BOMBARDIER CL-600-2B19 (CRJ-200).

Narrative: L WING TRAILING EDGE PANELS FOR A FLAP ACTUATOR INSPECTION WERE ONLY PARTIALLY REMOVED FOR AN A13 INSPECTION AND STAMPED OPEN ON THE PANEL CARD BY SECOND SHIFT. NO ONE ON THIRD SHIFT WAS AWARE THAT ONLY SOME OF THE SCREWS HAD BEEN REMOVED FROM THE PANEL AND THE PANEL WAS STILL INSTALLED ON THE ACFT WITH THE REMAINING SCREWS. WHEN IT CAME TO THE END OF THE 'A' CHK; THE INSPECTOR ON DUTY CAME TO ME AND ASKED WHO CLOSED THE PANELS BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT STAMPED OFF BUT THE PANELS WERE INSTALLED ON THE ACFT. I THOUGHT THAT SECOND SHIFT HAD REINSTALLED THEM AND FORGOT TO STAMP THE PANEL CARD; WHICH HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST WHEN WE HAVE HAD SECONDS HELP US OUT ON 'A' CHKS. I WENT OUT TO THE ACFT AND LOOKED UNDER THE WING; SAW THE PANELS ON THE ACFT AND STAMPED THE PANEL CARD FOR THOSE PANELS AS CLOSED. I NEVER DID CLB UNDER THE WING TO GET CLOSE ENOUGH TO ENSURE THAT ALL THE SCREWS WERE IN THE PANEL. I WASN'T AWARE THAT SOMEONE HAD ONLY REMOVED SOME OF THE SCREWS AND NOT ALL OF THEM WHEN THE PANEL WAS STAMPED OPEN. THE ACFT LEFT FOR REVENUE SVC ON THE MORNING FLT TO ZZZ. THAT AFTERNOON I RECEIVED A CALL AT HOME FROM THE MAINT SUPVR ON DUTY IN ZZZ SAYING THEY FOUND A BAG OF SCREWS SITTING IN THE HANGAR AND THE SECOND SHIFT TECHNICIAN RECOGNIZED THEM AS THE ONES REMOVED FROM THE PANELS ON THE L WING. I TOLD THE SUPVR THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO BE CHKED BECAUSE I WAS UNAWARE THAT ONLY SOME OF THE SCREWS WERE REMOVED AND I HAD NOT VERIFIED THAT ALL THE SCREWS WERE IN THE PANEL; I JUST LOOKED TO SEE THAT THE PANEL WAS INSTALLED. THE ACFT WAS BTWN FLTS IN ZZZ1 AT THE TIME WHERE ZZZ1 MAINT VERIFIED THAT THE SCREWS WERE MISSING FROM THE PANELS. THE ACFT WAS THEN REMOVED FROM SVC TO INSTALL SCREWS IN THE PANEL. AFTER FURTHER INFO WAS PROVIDED TO ME; THE PANELS THAT WERE INVOLVED WERE ON THE LOWER FLAP LEADING EDGE; NOT THE WING TRAILING EDGE. WE ONLY HAD 2 TECHNICIANS ON DUTY AND 2 LEADS; BUT PLANNING SAID THE 'A' CHK WAS A MUST-DO; ALONG WITH SOME MAINT ON THE OTHER 3 ACFT ALSO COMING THAT NIGHT. SO RIGHT FROM THE START WE WERE SWAMPED. RUNNING A LITTLE BEHIND IN THE MORNING; AS EXPECTED; THE INSPECTOR CAME TO ME WITH THE PANEL CARD AND SAID NO ONE HAD SIGNED FOR SOME PANELS. THE ACFT WAS ABOUT TO BE PULLED OUT FOR ENG RUNS; SO I RAN OUT TO THE PLANE; LOOKED UNDER THE WING; SAW THE PANELS WERE ON THE PLANE AND ASSUMED SECOND SHIFT INSTALLED THEM BUT FORGOT TO SIGN THEM OFF SO I STAMPED THE CARD. NEVER ASSUME ANYTHING. ALSO; IF SOMEONE DOESN'T REMOVE A PANEL COMPLETELY; A WRITE-UP SHOULD BE GENERATED STATING THAT; NOT JUST SIGNING THE PANEL OPEN ON THE PANEL CARD; OR IT SHOULD BE STATED IN THE SHIFT TURNOVER AND A RED TAG INSTALLED ON THE PANEL THAT IS STILL ON THE ACFT.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.