Maintenance Airframe; Maintenance Powerplant
Communication Breakdown; Distraction; Situational Awareness; Time Pressure; Workload
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
General Maintenance Action
Environment - Non Weather Related; Human Factors; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part
October 2013; we had an A-7 Inspection Check; so both wing panels; N542AT and N642AT (on top of the wing); were open for landing gear lube; to work on a Fleet Campaign Directive (FCD) (verifying modification on Retract Actuator) and Airworthiness Directive (A/D) for Retract Actuator Corrosion Check. After I checked for modification; Mechanic X put the cover in position [but not attached]; so no FOD entered (and the screws piled on top of it) and we proceeded to work on the Right-Hand (RH) Landing Gear actuator change. I was concentrating on the RH actuator change. I verified all the cotter pins; operation of the actuator and installation of the RH wing [upper] panel. In the meantime; I went to check the other airplane which had to be released for XA:00 am flight. At that time we all were rushing to get the aircraft ready for morning departure without making any delays. By the time Mechanic X handed me a signed copy of the FCD Card; which required an RII Inspection; the aircraft was already pushed out of the hangar. When I went to do the RII; the engine was already running. I did a walk around and checked the panel on its place; it is XA:00 am in the morning and still dark. The Left-Hand (LH) wing was on the other side of the hangar which affected the visibility. Since the engine was running; I tried to use my flashlight and look at the panels from a safe distance. I did not see any panel out of position or missing or any loose screws on the top of the wing. When verifying the panel; I was not close enough as I usually [am]; because the engine was running. When I [returned] the next night to work; I was told that the CRJ-700 aircraft I released for service; the LH Actuator inspection panel came off and fell to the ground during aircraft taxiing. This incident happened because we were all in rush to prepare the aircraft for flight on time. The finding of corrosion on the RH actuator [was] cause to be replaced and needed extra time to accomplish the work. This creates time constraints to finish [work] on the same limited time. The Lead Mechanic ordered all the mechanics to finish their paperwork while they were in the middle of the work. That makes the Mechanic to sign-off before finishing what he has started. The Inspector; (me); couldn't get to the problem because the engine was running while walking the plane; and couldn't be close enough to assure the screws are tightened or not. Since the loose screws were not shown on the top of the wing; I thought it was tightened and flushed with the [aircraft] skin; since I [had already] seen Mechanic X tightening the RH wing panel. Routine Overnight Maintenance (RON). A-Check. Stress. Graveyard.
An Aircraft Maintenance Inspector describes a rushed work environment in their Maintenance hangar during an overnight A-Check that contributed to a wing access panel not being resecured above the Left Landing Gear retract actuator on a CRJ-700 aircraft. Panel had fallen off during taxi-out after being released for service.