ACFT MAINT DISCREPANCY.

Narrative

EARLY MORNING WAKE-UP ON OVERNIGHT TRIP. FO PREFLTED ACFT WHILE I GOT WX AND DID MORNING SYS CHKS PER COMPANY FSM AND SOP. WE FLEW NORMAL TRIP FROM GNV TO MCO. WHILE TURNING ACFT (FUELING; ETC.) IN PREPARATION FOR OUR NEXT LEG; A RAMP SVC AGENT TOLD US THAT AN INSPECTION PANEL WAS MISSING FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE L ENG NACELLE. I WROTE-UP THE DISCREPANCY IN THE ACFT LOG BOOK AND A MECH REPLACED THE 8 X 12 INCH PANEL WITH 1 FROM ANOTHER ACFT. WE DEPARTED NORMALLY. A MECH LATER TOLD ME THAT THE MISSING PANEL HAD BEEN FOUND AT OUR HANGAR. THIS IMPLIES THAT WHEN ANOTHER CREW PICKED UP THE ACFT FROM THE HANGAR THE PREVIOUS DAY; THAT THEY MISSED THE OMISSION AND CONTINUED TO FLY 5 LEGS; THEN LEFT THE ACFT OVERNIGHT FOR US AND WE DID NOT FIND THE PROB THE FOLLOWING MORNING. THIS MAY SEEM OUTRAGEOUS; BUT IT SIMPLY REFLECTS A CHAIN OF ERRORS. THIS PANEL IS NOT READILY VISIBLE EXCEPT TO AN INSPECTOR WHO IS ON HIS KNEES BENEATH THE ENG. I'M CONFIDENT THAT MY FO DID A THOROUGH PREFLT; YET IT WAS IN THE PRE-DAWN DARKNESS; AND HE MISSED THE TARGET. PERHAPS I SHOULD DOUBLE-CHK MY FO'S PREFLTS; BUT IN THIS BUSINESS YOU CANNOT RE-CHK EVERY THING OR EVERYONE. THANK GOD NO ONE WAS INJURED. I DO FIND MYSELF LOOKING UNDER THE ENG NACELLES MORE FREQUENTLY NOW.