A B737-700 WHEEL WELL PANEL FASTENER INSPECTION WAS ACCOMPLISHED PER AN ENGINEERING AUTH AND CLRED AS NO FAULTS FOUND. LATER PANELS AND FASTENER NUT PLATES WERE REMOVED AND REPLACED.

Narrative

I WAS ASSIGNED TO ACCOMPLISH A TASK ON ACFT X AND I WENT TO THE ACFT AND INSPECTED PANELS 193CL AND 193CR. I WAS IN THE WHEEL WELL INSPECTING NUT PLATES AND WAS SPOT CHKING THE TORQUE ON THE SCREWS. TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES AND KNOWLEDGE; I FOUND NO DEFECTS ON FLOATING NUT PLATES AND ATTACHED HARDWARE ON GATE LINE. LATER THAT MORNING THE ACFT WAS TAXIED TO THE HANGAR FOR AN INSPECTION CHK. I RETURNED TO WORK ON WEDNESDAY AND WAS INFORMED THERE WILL BE A FACT FINDING MEETING ON FRIDAY ABOUT THE INSPECTION. THAT NIGHT I WENT TO THE HANGAR TO LOOK AT ACFT X'S PANELS. PANEL 193CR WAS REMOVED; APPROX 10 OF THE FLOATING NUT PLATES WERE DRILLED OUT. WE WENT IN TO BAY'S LEAD OFFICE AND ASKED THE LEAD MECH IF THERE WERE ANY NON ROUTINE CARDS ISSUED ON PANELS 193CL AND FOR 193CR AND AT THAT TIME NO NON ROUTINES WERE ISSUED. ANOTHER ENGINEERING AUTH WAS ISSUED FOR REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT OF NUT PLATES FOR THESE PANELS. AT THAT TIME NO DOCUMENTATION WAS FOUND FOR REMOVING 193CR AND THE 10 NUT PLATES BEING DRILLED OUT. I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT TIME AND WHAT SHIFT STARTED PERFORMING THE PRE-WASH OPEN-UP BUT HAVING 3 YRS OF STRUCTURES EXPERIENCE; I KNOW IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR PANELS TO BE REMOVED THAT ARE NOT ON THE OPEN-UP PAPERWORK. I DO NOT KNOW THE EXACT TIME A DEFECT WAS FOUND ON THE PANEL BUT IT IS A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY SOME HARDWARE COULD HAVE BEEN REMOVED WHILE IN THE HANGAR. BUT I KNOW A LOT OF NUT PLATES ARE DAMAGED WITH SCREW-KNOCKERS AND OTHER POWERFUL SCREW REMOVAL TOOLS. AS OF APPROX XA00 THERE WAS NO DOCUMENTATION OF ANY DEFECTS; THE PANEL BEING REMOVED; OR ANY NUT PLATES BEING REMOVED; AND TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AROUND XE00 AT LINE GATE I DID NOT SEE ANY DEFECTS ON PANELS 193CL AND 193CR ON ACFT X; NOR DID THE MECH THAT PERFORMED THE MAINT CHK; SO I SIGNED THE ISSUED ENGINEERING AUTH OFF ACCORDINGLY.