A DHC8-100 WAS DISPATCHED WITH THE #2 ENG NACELLE MISSING 2 UPPER PANELS.

Narrative

ACFT XXX WAS IN AUG XA-XD/97 FOR MODIFICATION AND SCHEDULED MAINT. DURING THAT TIME I WORKED AS LEAD MECH ON AUG/XB/97 AND ON THE MORNING OF ITS DEP ON AUG/XD/97. THERE WERE ONLY A FEW MODIFICATIONS TO BE DONE AND ONLY 1 IN THE AREA OF #2 NACELLE AND THAT IS THE BRAKE ACCUMULATOR RELOCATION MODIFICATION. SOMETIME DURING ITS STAY; THE 2 TOP NACELLE PANELS WERE REMOVED BY A MECH AND WERE NEVER WRITTEN UP OR TOLD ABOUT TO ANY LEAD MECH ON DUTY. ONE OF THESE PANELS; BBB; HAD AN AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVE ON THE SEALING OF THE PANEL AFTER INSTALLATION. I CAME IN ON THE MORNING OF AUG/XD/97 AT XA00. I RECEIVED A TURNOVER THAT SOME PAPERWORK NEEDED TO BE DEALT WITH AND THE ACFT WAS SITTING OUT ON THE RAMP NEXT TO THE HANGAR AND THE NEXT ACFT WAS IN THE HANGAR WITH THE MODIFICATIONS STARTED ALREADY. I GOT ANOTHER MECH; DID MY WALKAROUND INSPECTION AT XA45-XB00; AND PROCEEDED TO TAKE THE ACFT TO THE TERMINAL. I RETURNED TO QUALITY CTL TO WAIT FOR THE PAPERWORK AUDIT TO BE DONE AND AFTER COMPLETION; I TOOK THE LOGBOOK TO ACFT XXX AT THE GATE AT XB45-XC00 AND SIGNED THE MAINT RELEASE. I THEN GOT ON ACFT XYZ FOR MODIFICATIONS. ON THE FINAL DAY OF PUTTING IT BACK TOGETHER; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE 2 PANELS BBB AND BBY WERE NOT INSTALLED ON ACFT XXX. MAINT CTL WAS THEN NOTIFIED OF THE MISHAP IMMEDIATELY.