A B757 loses a pneumatic access door in flight in ZTL airspace.

Attributes
ACN	415034
Time
Date	199809
Day	Sun
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	atc facility : atl
State Reference	GA
Altitude	msl bound lower : 15000 msl bound upper : 20000
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	artcc : ztl
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	cruise other
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Qualification	pilot : atp
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 200 flight time total : 6000 flight time type : 2400
ASRS Report	415034
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact none taken : unable
Consequence	other Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

After landing in rdu, flight attendants told us of a noise in-flight about 10 mins after takeoff. Doing a walkaround we discovered the external air unit panel missing from aircraft with just a hinge missing and minor skin damage next to it. We got a contract mechanic. He said skin damage was minimal. We referred to the MEL and wrote up in the logbook the missing panel. We also called our flight control maintenance supervisor to inform them of missing panel. Previously in atl, I conducted a normal walkaround, I did not see any open latches. In fact, I went to adjust the external air conditioning which was not on correctly. This unit is about 18 inches from the panel which came off. If the latches were out I would have noticed. Also the ground personnel who disconnected the air hose would have seen it. Also the 3-4 personnel who pushed back the aircraft. My feeling is that the latches appeared flush but were probably not connected correctly. We estimated the panel came off 10-15 mins after takeoff, 15000-20000 ft, 50-100 mi east of atl. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated that the door to the pneumatic connection for starting engines is the one that departed the aircraft. It is a door about 18 inches by 20 inches in dimension. The hinges are located on the side of the door, which would allow the door to present drag if it should open, and therefore, be blown off of the aircraft. This first officer has since been very mindful of the security of all the doors within reach and now inspects them closely. He reports that he frequently pounds them with his hand. Sometimes they open. If they do, he has noticed that not all the doors have all the latches on the door that they were initially designed to have. Through hours of use the hinges have become faulty. Reporter also feels confident that the lost door was not open during his preflight or he would have seen it, because it is such a large door.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 LOSES A PNEUMATIC ACCESS DOOR IN FLT IN ZTL AIRSPACE.

Narrative: AFTER LNDG IN RDU, FLT ATTENDANTS TOLD US OF A NOISE INFLT ABOUT 10 MINS AFTER TKOF. DOING A WALKAROUND WE DISCOVERED THE EXTERNAL AIR UNIT PANEL MISSING FROM ACFT WITH JUST A HINGE MISSING AND MINOR SKIN DAMAGE NEXT TO IT. WE GOT A CONTRACT MECH. HE SAID SKIN DAMAGE WAS MINIMAL. WE REFERRED TO THE MEL AND WROTE UP IN THE LOGBOOK THE MISSING PANEL. WE ALSO CALLED OUR FLT CTL MAINT SUPVR TO INFORM THEM OF MISSING PANEL. PREVIOUSLY IN ATL, I CONDUCTED A NORMAL WALKAROUND, I DID NOT SEE ANY OPEN LATCHES. IN FACT, I WENT TO ADJUST THE EXTERNAL AIR CONDITIONING WHICH WAS NOT ON CORRECTLY. THIS UNIT IS ABOUT 18 INCHES FROM THE PANEL WHICH CAME OFF. IF THE LATCHES WERE OUT I WOULD HAVE NOTICED. ALSO THE GND PERSONNEL WHO DISCONNECTED THE AIR HOSE WOULD HAVE SEEN IT. ALSO THE 3-4 PERSONNEL WHO PUSHED BACK THE ACFT. MY FEELING IS THAT THE LATCHES APPEARED FLUSH BUT WERE PROBABLY NOT CONNECTED CORRECTLY. WE ESTIMATED THE PANEL CAME OFF 10-15 MINS AFTER TKOF, 15000-20000 FT, 50-100 MI E OF ATL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THAT THE DOOR TO THE PNEUMATIC CONNECTION FOR STARTING ENGS IS THE ONE THAT DEPARTED THE ACFT. IT IS A DOOR ABOUT 18 INCHES BY 20 INCHES IN DIMENSION. THE HINGES ARE LOCATED ON THE SIDE OF THE DOOR, WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE DOOR TO PRESENT DRAG IF IT SHOULD OPEN, AND THEREFORE, BE BLOWN OFF OF THE ACFT. THIS FO HAS SINCE BEEN VERY MINDFUL OF THE SECURITY OF ALL THE DOORS WITHIN REACH AND NOW INSPECTS THEM CLOSELY. HE RPTS THAT HE FREQUENTLY POUNDS THEM WITH HIS HAND. SOMETIMES THEY OPEN. IF THEY DO, HE HAS NOTICED THAT NOT ALL THE DOORS HAVE ALL THE LATCHES ON THE DOOR THAT THEY WERE INITIALLY DESIGNED TO HAVE. THROUGH HRS OF USE THE HINGES HAVE BECOME FAULTY. RPTR ALSO FEELS CONFIDENT THAT THE LOST DOOR WAS NOT OPEN DURING HIS PREFLT OR HE WOULD HAVE SEEN IT, BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A LARGE DOOR.

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.