Narrative:

This concerns company flight abc jan/xx/98, iah-slc and flight xyz slc-iah on jan/yy/98. I performed the pre-takeoff walkaround, jan/xx/98, as did the maintenance crew at night. I performed the walkaround on jan/yy/98, also, before sun up and viewed the exterior of the aircraft a second time after performing the overwing ice inspection. We arrived in iah without noticing any abnormalities and perceived to have a normal flight. Upon returning to the aircraft in iah for the continuation of flight Y, we were told there was an aircraft swap due to a mechanical problem. Ground crews had discovered two missing slat lubricating access panels on the underside of the right wing near the wingtip. This was my first knowledge of this situation as I did not observe it on the walkaround or notice any abnormal flying characteristics. I have no knowledge of where these panels came off or for how long they were missing. To my knowledge, they have not as yet been found. The rest of the trip proceeded uneventfully in another aircraft as the previous aircraft was taken OTS at that time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 ACFT HAS SLAT LUBRICATING ACCESS DOORS MISSING AFTER TWO LEGS OF FLT WITH SAME FLC. PROB NOTICED BY GND CREW.

Narrative: THIS CONCERNS COMPANY FLT ABC JAN/XX/98, IAH-SLC AND FLT XYZ SLC-IAH ON JAN/YY/98. I PERFORMED THE PRE-TKOF WALKAROUND, JAN/XX/98, AS DID THE MAINT CREW AT NIGHT. I PERFORMED THE WALKAROUND ON JAN/YY/98, ALSO, BEFORE SUN UP AND VIEWED THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACFT A SECOND TIME AFTER PERFORMING THE OVERWING ICE INSPECTION. WE ARRIVED IN IAH WITHOUT NOTICING ANY ABNORMALITIES AND PERCEIVED TO HAVE A NORMAL FLT. UPON RETURNING TO THE ACFT IN IAH FOR THE CONTINUATION OF FLT Y, WE WERE TOLD THERE WAS AN ACFT SWAP DUE TO A MECHANICAL PROB. GND CREWS HAD DISCOVERED TWO MISSING SLAT LUBRICATING ACCESS PANELS ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE R WING NEAR THE WINGTIP. THIS WAS MY FIRST KNOWLEDGE OF THIS SIT AS I DID NOT OBSERVE IT ON THE WALKAROUND OR NOTICE ANY ABNORMAL FLYING CHARACTERISTICS. I HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF WHERE THESE PANELS CAME OFF OR FOR HOW LONG THEY WERE MISSING. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THEY HAVE NOT AS YET BEEN FOUND. THE REST OF THE TRIP PROCEEDED UNEVENTFULLY IN ANOTHER ACFT AS THE PREVIOUS ACFT WAS TAKEN OTS AT THAT TIME.

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.