Inspection panel missing from wing near navigation light.

Attributes
ACN	269100
Time
Date	199404
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rsw airport : mco
State Reference	FL
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	Mixed
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B727 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	other
Route In Use	enroute : direct
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : cfi pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	269100
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : second officer
Qualification	pilot : atp pilot : cfi pilot : flight engineer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 180 flight time total : 6200 flight time type : 1670
ASRS Report	268953
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	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

Aircraft boeing 727, lga-mco-rsw. On arrival at mco, maintenance informed the flight crew that the right wingtip navigation light access panel was missing and that the lga maintenance had the original panel and was going to ship it to mco. When aircraft returned to mco from rsw, it was going to be installed. A temporary repair was made at mco, the aircraft logbook was signed off as having the 'damage' repaired, and the flight proceeded to rsw. Upon arrival at rsw, the temporary panel (the temporary repair) was discovered to be missing. It is unknown if the panel fell off the aircraft while it was on the ground or airborne. The subsequent passenger flight was canceled. Rsw did not have any company maintenance personnel. Following the established company procedures, the captain coordinated with company flight operations, company maintenance, and rsw contract maintenance personnel to prepare the aircraft for a ferry flight to mco. The aircraft was operated to mco without any unusual event associated with a missing panel. This flight crew did not operate this aircraft thereafter.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: INSPECTION PANEL MISSING FROM WING NEAR NAV LIGHT.

Narrative: ACFT BOEING 727, LGA-MCO-RSW. ON ARR AT MCO, MAINT INFORMED THE FLC THAT THE R WINGTIP NAV LIGHT ACCESS PANEL WAS MISSING AND THAT THE LGA MAINT HAD THE ORIGINAL PANEL AND WAS GOING TO SHIP IT TO MCO. WHEN ACFT RETURNED TO MCO FROM RSW, IT WAS GOING TO BE INSTALLED. A TEMPORARY REPAIR WAS MADE AT MCO, THE ACFT LOGBOOK WAS SIGNED OFF AS HAVING THE 'DAMAGE' REPAIRED, AND THE FLT PROCEEDED TO RSW. UPON ARR AT RSW, THE TEMPORARY PANEL (THE TEMPORARY REPAIR) WAS DISCOVERED TO BE MISSING. IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE PANEL FELL OFF THE ACFT WHILE IT WAS ON THE GND OR AIRBORNE. THE SUBSEQUENT PAX FLT WAS CANCELED. RSW DID NOT HAVE ANY COMPANY MAINT PERSONNEL. FOLLOWING THE ESTABLISHED COMPANY PROCS, THE CAPT COORDINATED WITH COMPANY FLT OPS, COMPANY MAINT, AND RSW CONTRACT MAINT PERSONNEL TO PREPARE THE ACFT FOR A FERRY FLT TO MCO. THE ACFT WAS OPERATED TO MCO WITHOUT ANY UNUSUAL EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH A MISSING PANEL. THIS FLC DID NOT OPERATE THIS ACFT THEREAFTER.

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.