External air conditioning cover missing. Used high speed tape for interim repair.

Attributes
ACN	302697
Time
Date	199504
Day	Sat
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : rdu
State Reference	NC
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	Fokker 100
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
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 : 270 flight time total : 13200 flight time type : 270
ASRS Report	302697
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : commercial pilot : instrument pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 80 flight time total : 14500 flight time type : 80
ASRS Report	302702
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	flight crew : overcame equipment problem
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

During through-flight at rdu (flight originated in tpa), maintenance personnel found external air conditioning cover missing. Item was not on company cdl list but maintenance person indicated we had approval from fokker company to operate with speed tape over inlet. Inlet was speed taped and flight was dispatched with appropriate logbook entries and signoff by maintenance. Aircraft was operated for several days by several crews with this condition. FAA was aware of this procedure since company gained approval in dec/94. On apr/mon/95 I was informed that FAA was now questioning this procedure since speed tape is in front of engine inlets. Situation is being debated between FAA, fokker aircraft, and company. Recommendation, crews be provided more documentation, ie, faxes, letters of approval, etc, when items such as this are not defined in MEL/cdl.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: EXTERNAL AIR CONDITIONING COVER MISSING. USED HIGH SPD TAPE FOR INTERIM REPAIR.

Narrative: DURING THROUGH-FLT AT RDU (FLT ORIGINATED IN TPA), MAINT PERSONNEL FOUND EXTERNAL AIR CONDITIONING COVER MISSING. ITEM WAS NOT ON COMPANY CDL LIST BUT MAINT PERSON INDICATED WE HAD APPROVAL FROM FOKKER COMPANY TO OPERATE WITH SPD TAPE OVER INLET. INLET WAS SPD TAPED AND FLT WAS DISPATCHED WITH APPROPRIATE LOGBOOK ENTRIES AND SIGNOFF BY MAINT. ACFT WAS OPERATED FOR SEVERAL DAYS BY SEVERAL CREWS WITH THIS CONDITION. FAA WAS AWARE OF THIS PROC SINCE COMPANY GAINED APPROVAL IN DEC/94. ON APR/MON/95 I WAS INFORMED THAT FAA WAS NOW QUESTIONING THIS PROC SINCE SPD TAPE IS IN FRONT OF ENG INLETS. SIT IS BEING DEBATED BTWN FAA, FOKKER ACFT, AND COMPANY. RECOMMENDATION, CREWS BE PROVIDED MORE DOCUMENTATION, IE, FAXES, LETTERS OF APPROVAL, ETC, WHEN ITEMS SUCH AS THIS ARE NOT DEFINED IN MEL/CDL.

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.