Date: 201307
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZZZ.Airport, US
Flight conditions: IMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Daylight
Aircraft: B737-700
Operator: Air Carrier
Operating under: Part 121
Flight plan: IFR
Mission: Passenger
Flight phase: Parked
Aircraft component: Flap Fairing
Component problem: Malfunctioning
Reporter organization: Air Carrier
Reporter function: First Officer
Human factors: Confusion; Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness
Second reporter function: Captain; Pilot Flying
Anomaly: Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural MEL / CDL; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Detector: Person Flight Crew
When detected: Pre-flight
Result: General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Contributing factors: MEL; Logbook Entry; Incorrect / Not Installed / Unavailable Part; Human Factors; Aircraft; Procedure
Primary problem: Human Factors

Narrative: As I was checking into the hotel in XXX; I was called by Scheduling and asked to return to the airport to operate Flight XXXX from ZZZ to ZZZ1.  When I got to the jet and did the walkaround; the #3 Aft [Flap] Canoe had been removed. I told the Captain and we looked in the Logbook.  The Logbook had a yellow Configuration Deviation List (CDL) sticker that said the #3 Canoe was loose and it also had a Logbook write-up by Maintenance that said the #3 Canoe had been removed and 'OK' to continue.  The Captain and I were both confused by the difference in the yellow CDL sticker and the Logbook write-up.  The Captain called Maintenance Control to ask and they said that it was all proper and good to continue.  We flew the ZZZ to ZZZ1 leg uneventfully.  When we got to the gate in ZZZ1; we were told by Contract Maintenance that the airplane should not have been flown and that it was now 'Out of Service' (OTS).  The new Captain was on the phone with Maintenance Control and was told not to fly it.  Since we had talked to Maintenance Control and given the 'Okay'; we thought we were correct in flying the aircraft. Incorrectly applied maintenance procedure by Maintenance Control.


Second narrative: Flying one leg from ZZZ to ZZZ1. Maintenance Release indicated one Flap Canoe [fairing] removed. Inbound Captain briefed me on MEL. During walkaround inspection his First Officer found a 'loose' canoe. When I looked at the Logbook; there was a yellow CDL sticker on the cover that stated there was a loose pylon. The Corrective Action on the Logbook page said; 'Removed #3 Aft Flap Canoe fairing. OK to continue per CDL 57-10-4 and Special Procedures (SP)' I called Maintenance Control and was concerned the yellow CDL sticker said pylon loose and the Corrective Action stated that it was removed. Maintenance Control stated that the write-up was correct. When we landed at ZZZ1; Contract Maintenance told us that the aircraft was 'Out of Service' (OTS). The outbound Captain was talking to Maintenance Control and he confirmed that the aircraft was out of service. Apparently the wrong maintenance procedure was accomplished.


Synopsis: A Captain and First Officer report about a disparity between a Configuration Deviation List (CDL) sticker on their Logbook that said the #3 Flap Canoe fairing was loose; but the Logbook write-up and sign-off stated the Canoe fairing had been removed on their B737-700 aircraft.