AFTER INSTALLING A LEFT AND RIGHT HORIZ STAB LOWER ACCESS PANEL ON A B737-300; MECHANIC ALLOWS LEAD TO USE HIS FILE NUMBER TO SIGN OFF THE PANELS. ACFT DEPARTED WITH TWO UPPER PANELS NOT INSTALLED; BUT PART OF SIGNOFF.

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I WAS WORKING ON ACFT X. I WAS FINISHED WITH MY ASSIGNMENT; SO I OFFERED TO HELP. HE SAID; 'CAN YOU PUT MY STABILIZER PANELS ON?' I SAID; 'SURE.' I WENT TO THE CHERRY PICKER; SAW 2 BIG PANELS; AND INSTALLED 1 PANEL ON EACH SIDE. THEY WERE ABOUT 1.5 SQUARE FT VERY EASY TO SEE THEY WERE REMOVED FROM THE GND. I ASKED IF THERE WAS ANYTHING ELSE; HE SAID NO. WHEN I TRIED TO SIGN MY 2 PANELS OFF IN 'PANEL CARD' THERE WASN'T AN OPEN BLOCK FOR THE 2 PANELS I INSTALLED. I WENT INTO THE OFFICE TO FIND THE HARD COPY AND COULDN'T FIND IT. THE LEAD WASN'T IN THE OFFICE AT THE TIME. I WENT TO EAT MY LUNCH. LATER THAT NIGHT; THE LEAD CAME IN THE BREAK ROOM AND ASKED WHO INSTALLED THOSE STABILIZER PANELS. I SAID; 'I DID.' HE ASKED IF IT WAS OK IF HE PUT MY EMPLOYEE NUMBER DOWN. I SAID; 'SURE; THANKS.' THE NEXT DAY; CAME UP TO ME AND SAID; 'HEY; THERE'S SOME PANELS IN THE CHERRY PICKER?' SO 1 DAY LATER I WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE PANELS NOT INSTALLED ON AN AIRPLANE THAT HAD FLOWN. I TOLD THE SUPVR IMMEDIATELY AND CONTACTED MAINT CTL. THE PANELS WERE ON TOP OF THE STABILIZER THAT I DID NOT KNOW WERE REMOVED OR WAS TOLD THEY WERE REMOVED. SO WHEN SIGN-OFF TIME CAME; THERE WASN'T ANY WAY FOR ME TO KNOW I HAD MISSED THOSE PANELS!