Air carrier medium large transport lost APU access door en route to cvg.

Attributes
ACN	197657
Time
Date	199112
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : dca
State Reference	DC
Altitude	msl bound lower : 0 msl bound upper : 35000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : zdc tower : myf
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Medium Large Transport, Low Wing, 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Phase	climbout : takeoff cruise other ground : preflight
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 8000 flight time type : 2500
ASRS Report	197657
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 150 flight time total : 3100 flight time type : 125
ASRS Report	197751
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Airport
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Possible dropped object. Upon arrival at the aircraft, maintenance personnel were attempting to establish electrical power. They were working on the APU and also having difficulty with the ground power unit. The airplane was dark. The first officer completed the walkaround and noted nothing unusual with air frame although he did question the surging and popping noises as mechanics were attempting to start the APU. It was finally started and functioned normally the rest of the flight. Upon arrival in cincinnati we were informed that a portion of the APU access door was missing from the airplane. We noticed no unusual buffeting or vibration in-flight. We lost 1/2 of the APU access door a panel about 16 inches square.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACR MLG LOST APU ACCESS DOOR ENRTE TO CVG.

Narrative: POSSIBLE DROPPED OBJECT. UPON ARR AT THE ACFT, MAINT PERSONNEL WERE ATTEMPTING TO ESTABLISH ELECTRICAL PWR. THEY WERE WORKING ON THE APU AND ALSO HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH THE GND PWR UNIT. THE AIRPLANE WAS DARK. THE FO COMPLETED THE WALKAROUND AND NOTED NOTHING UNUSUAL WITH AIR FRAME ALTHOUGH HE DID QUESTION THE SURGING AND POPPING NOISES AS MECHS WERE ATTEMPTING TO START THE APU. IT WAS FINALLY STARTED AND FUNCTIONED NORMALLY THE REST OF THE FLT. UPON ARR IN CINCINNATI WE WERE INFORMED THAT A PORTION OF THE APU ACCESS DOOR WAS MISSING FROM THE AIRPLANE. WE NOTICED NO UNUSUAL BUFFETING OR VIBRATION INFLT. WE LOST 1/2 OF THE APU ACCESS DOOR A PANEL ABOUT 16 INCHES SQUARE.

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.