Narrative:

Upon arriving in for work; I was alerted to the fact that aircraft X had a l-hand inboard flap; outboard aft fairing break in half and had the inboard half depart the aircraft. I believe it was not noted in-flight; but found during the postflt walkaround from ZZZ1 to ZZZ. No injuries occurred and no other aircraft damage occurred. Distraction (helping a new hire) and someone not following our (unwritten) SOP of taping the hardware to the panels. Upon arriving for work; nobody could tell who put it on and were having trouble figuring it out. I stepped up and told them that I was responsible and need to talk to management. On the morning before; I finished an 'a' check on aircraft X l-hand pwrplant. After completing my inspection; I assisted another technician on his inspection of the r-hand till he needed to fill out a deferral on the r-hand engine thrust reversers. At that time I decided to help the technician who was responsible for flap inspection and lubrication. I asked if the left side flap hinge fairings were inspected and signed to close; which he told me they were. I installed the outmost forward fairings first which had the screws taped to the panel and was very convenient. When I got to the left side; second from inboard panel fairings; I installed the aft one outboard side first which had the screws missing. I found them on a roll-a-way stool under the wing. Then I installed the forward fairing by putting in the outboard hardware first which was taped to the panel. After completing the outboard side of the fairings; I slid off the stool to get to the inboard side of the fairings. The hardware was taped on the forward fairing again and just put them in without any problem. The aft fairing did not have the screws taped to it and when I slid off the stool to work the inboard side of the fairings; the stool shot out a good 15 ft away. So I had to go retrieve the stool to get the hardware on it to complete the fairing installation. While doing so; a new hire asked me for some help locating hardware in the other wing fairings; I left with the intention of getting it and returning to my responsibilities but it did not happen. The hardware search with the new hire turned out to be way more extensive than planned and I totally forgot about the unfinished fairing. After finding the hardware for the new hire; and forgetting about the panel; I helped the r-hand engine guy put his motor back together. Upon completing my shift and going home; I reviewed the panel book and found all panels were signed closed; including the ones I had put on. But in reality; the inboard side of the second from inbound aft flap fairing on the left side was still unsecured. That fairing was not supposed to come off and never was even on the panel card. I suggested colored tape so when the screws are taped to the fairings; it is clear to all that they are there. For those who do not like to run with the crowd; I suggest hardware bags of a brighter color so they are more easily seen under the low plane. And hopefully technicians will use them instead of scattering hardware all about.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: UPON ARRIVING FOR WORK; MECHANIC IS INFORMED A CRJ-200 HAD A L INBOARD FLAP; OUTBOARD AFT FAIRING BREAK IN HALF; WITH THE INBOARD HALF DEPARTING THE ACFT.

Narrative: UPON ARRIVING IN FOR WORK; I WAS ALERTED TO THE FACT THAT ACFT X HAD A L-HAND INBOARD FLAP; OUTBOARD AFT FAIRING BREAK IN HALF AND HAD THE INBOARD HALF DEPART THE ACFT. I BELIEVE IT WAS NOT NOTED INFLT; BUT FOUND DURING THE POSTFLT WALKAROUND FROM ZZZ1 TO ZZZ. NO INJURIES OCCURRED AND NO OTHER ACFT DAMAGE OCCURRED. DISTR (HELPING A NEW HIRE) AND SOMEONE NOT FOLLOWING OUR (UNWRITTEN) SOP OF TAPING THE HARDWARE TO THE PANELS. UPON ARRIVING FOR WORK; NOBODY COULD TELL WHO PUT IT ON AND WERE HAVING TROUBLE FIGURING IT OUT. I STEPPED UP AND TOLD THEM THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE AND NEED TO TALK TO MGMNT. ON THE MORNING BEFORE; I FINISHED AN 'A' CHK ON ACFT X L-HAND PWRPLANT. AFTER COMPLETING MY INSPECTION; I ASSISTED ANOTHER TECHNICIAN ON HIS INSPECTION OF THE R-HAND TILL HE NEEDED TO FILL OUT A DEFERRAL ON THE R-HAND ENG THRUST REVERSERS. AT THAT TIME I DECIDED TO HELP THE TECHNICIAN WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR FLAP INSPECTION AND LUBRICATION. I ASKED IF THE L SIDE FLAP HINGE FAIRINGS WERE INSPECTED AND SIGNED TO CLOSE; WHICH HE TOLD ME THEY WERE. I INSTALLED THE OUTMOST FORWARD FAIRINGS FIRST WHICH HAD THE SCREWS TAPED TO THE PANEL AND WAS VERY CONVENIENT. WHEN I GOT TO THE L SIDE; SECOND FROM INBOARD PANEL FAIRINGS; I INSTALLED THE AFT ONE OUTBOARD SIDE FIRST WHICH HAD THE SCREWS MISSING. I FOUND THEM ON A ROLL-A-WAY STOOL UNDER THE WING. THEN I INSTALLED THE FORWARD FAIRING BY PUTTING IN THE OUTBOARD HARDWARE FIRST WHICH WAS TAPED TO THE PANEL. AFTER COMPLETING THE OUTBOARD SIDE OF THE FAIRINGS; I SLID OFF THE STOOL TO GET TO THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE FAIRINGS. THE HARDWARE WAS TAPED ON THE FORWARD FAIRING AGAIN AND JUST PUT THEM IN WITHOUT ANY PROB. THE AFT FAIRING DID NOT HAVE THE SCREWS TAPED TO IT AND WHEN I SLID OFF THE STOOL TO WORK THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE FAIRINGS; THE STOOL SHOT OUT A GOOD 15 FT AWAY. SO I HAD TO GO RETRIEVE THE STOOL TO GET THE HARDWARE ON IT TO COMPLETE THE FAIRING INSTALLATION. WHILE DOING SO; A NEW HIRE ASKED ME FOR SOME HELP LOCATING HARDWARE IN THE OTHER WING FAIRINGS; I LEFT WITH THE INTENTION OF GETTING IT AND RETURNING TO MY RESPONSIBILITIES BUT IT DID NOT HAPPEN. THE HARDWARE SEARCH WITH THE NEW HIRE TURNED OUT TO BE WAY MORE EXTENSIVE THAN PLANNED AND I TOTALLY FORGOT ABOUT THE UNFINISHED FAIRING. AFTER FINDING THE HARDWARE FOR THE NEW HIRE; AND FORGETTING ABOUT THE PANEL; I HELPED THE R-HAND ENG GUY PUT HIS MOTOR BACK TOGETHER. UPON COMPLETING MY SHIFT AND GOING HOME; I REVIEWED THE PANEL BOOK AND FOUND ALL PANELS WERE SIGNED CLOSED; INCLUDING THE ONES I HAD PUT ON. BUT IN REALITY; THE INBOARD SIDE OF THE SECOND FROM INBOUND AFT FLAP FAIRING ON THE L SIDE WAS STILL UNSECURED. THAT FAIRING WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO COME OFF AND NEVER WAS EVEN ON THE PANEL CARD. I SUGGESTED COLORED TAPE SO WHEN THE SCREWS ARE TAPED TO THE FAIRINGS; IT IS CLR TO ALL THAT THEY ARE THERE. FOR THOSE WHO DO NOT LIKE TO RUN WITH THE CROWD; I SUGGEST HARDWARE BAGS OF A BRIGHTER COLOR SO THEY ARE MORE EASILY SEEN UNDER THE LOW PLANE. AND HOPEFULLY TECHNICIANS WILL USE THEM INSTEAD OF SCATTERING HARDWARE ALL ABOUT.

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.