Air carrier medium large transport flew a flight segment with a required wing access panel missing. ...

Attributes
ACN	130508
Time
Date	198912
Day	Tue
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dtw
State Reference	MI
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 8820 flight time type : 200
ASRS Report	130508
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

This is my account of flight dtw-bna. I signed the release in dtw and noticed that the aircraft had a MEL about an upper slat door. I read the procedure and limits in the MEL and we proceeded to bna. The first officer who did the walk around in dtw did not mention anything to me about anything unusual. He knew about the MEL item. In bna I told the first officer that I would do the walk around as I was going outside to operations. Upon passing the right wing I noticed a 4 X 13 inch panel missing from under the wing. I could see the slat anti-icing duct and this could be called a door, but in my 13 yrs on this airplane, I have never seen this panel missing. I wrote up the panel to have company mechanics in bna verify that everyone was talking about the same thing. It struck me odd that the panel was under the wing but the cdl refers to an upper door. Upon further research it was discovered that this panel wasn't correctly MEL'ed and the aircraft was grounded.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG FLEW A FLT SEGMENT WITH A REQUIRED WING ACCESS PANEL MISSING. MEL HAD IDENTIFIED THE WRONG PANEL AS MISSING.

Narrative: THIS IS MY ACCOUNT OF FLT DTW-BNA. I SIGNED THE RELEASE IN DTW AND NOTICED THAT THE ACFT HAD A MEL ABOUT AN UPPER SLAT DOOR. I READ THE PROC AND LIMITS IN THE MEL AND WE PROCEEDED TO BNA. THE F/O WHO DID THE WALK AROUND IN DTW DID NOT MENTION ANYTHING TO ME ABOUT ANYTHING UNUSUAL. HE KNEW ABOUT THE MEL ITEM. IN BNA I TOLD THE F/O THAT I WOULD DO THE WALK AROUND AS I WAS GOING OUTSIDE TO OPERATIONS. UPON PASSING THE RIGHT WING I NOTICED A 4 X 13 INCH PANEL MISSING FROM UNDER THE WING. I COULD SEE THE SLAT ANTI-ICING DUCT AND THIS COULD BE CALLED A DOOR, BUT IN MY 13 YRS ON THIS AIRPLANE, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS PANEL MISSING. I WROTE UP THE PANEL TO HAVE COMPANY MECHANICS IN BNA VERIFY THAT EVERYONE WAS TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING. IT STRUCK ME ODD THAT THE PANEL WAS UNDER THE WING BUT THE CDL REFERS TO AN UPPER DOOR. UPON FURTHER RESEARCH IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THIS PANEL WASN'T CORRECTLY MEL'ED AND THE ACFT WAS GNDED.

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

Air carrier medium large transport flew a flight segment with a required wing access panel missing. MEL had identified the wrong panel as missing.