A B737 WAS DISPATCHED WITH A KNOWN MAIN WHEEL WELL DUCT ACCESS PANEL WITH A DAMAGED NUT PLATE. LEAD TECHNICIAN ASSURED TECHNICIAN NUT PLATE WOULD BE REPAIRED BEFORE DISPATCH.

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ON FRIDAY MORNING; AFTER FINISHING THE CHK ON OUR PLANE; OUR GROUP WENT TO HELP OUT WITH THE CHK ON ACFT X. ONE OTHER APPRENTICE AND I WERE GIVEN THE TASK OF CHANGING OUT THE DUCT BOOT ON THE BAD BEAM IN THE WHEEL WELL. WE REMOVED THE TOP 2 PANELS INSIDE THE WHEEL WELL AND THE SMALL PANEL UNDER THE KEEL BEAM ON OUTSIDE BOTTOM PART OF THE ACFT. THIS SMALL PANEL HAS 4 FASTENERS SECURING IT; 2 OF WHICH HAD TO BE DRILLED OUT. HALF OF 1 OF THE FASTENERS FOR THE L TRAILING EDGE OF THE PANEL WAS LEFT IN THE NUT PLATE. WE CHANGED OUT THE BOOT AND AFTER OPS CHK WENT TO CHANGE OUT THE NUT PLATE. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO WAIT ON THE NUT PLATE UNTIL THEY MOVE THE PLANE. AT THAT POINT MY LEAD INSTRUCTED ME TO GO AND SIGN OFF THE PAPERWORK. ONCE THE PLANE WAS MOVED WE WENT TO CHANGE THE NUT PLATE AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO ONLY PUT THE 3 GOOD SCREWS IN AND LEAVE THE NUT PLATE AND THEN CLEAN UP AND CLOCK OUT. I TOLD MY LEAD I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE DOING THAT. HE THEN TOLD US TO LEAVE SOME TOOLS WITH HIM AND HE WOULD FINISH UP FOR US. AS I LEFT ON FRIDAY MORNING I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THE PANEL WOULD BE FIXED AND SECURED CORRECTLY. WHEN I CAME INTO WORK ON FRIDAY NIGHT AT XA00 I LEARNED THAT IT WAS NOT TAKEN CARE OF. I HAVE LEARNED NOW THAT WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE FASTENER WAS TO BE LEFT OUT WAS A MAINT NOTE IN THE LOG AND A TIME LIMITED DEFERRED ITEM ON THE NON ROUTINE.