Did I leave a tool … in the jet? - military aircraft maintenance - Brief Article

Combat Edge, March, 2002 by Joseph M. Richard

The sun had just cracked the horizon over Sunrise Mountain that morning at Nellis AFB, Nev. Everyone was in a great mood because the Thunderbird team was going to be on the road again. Midland, Texas, was going to be the location of our first air show since the tragedy that happened on Sept. 11, 2001.

It was my job to prepare one of the Thunderbird aircraft for this show. As I walked out to the line with my assistant, he told me that everything we needed to launch was already out by the aircraft. I proceeded with the normal pre-flight checks, which included jumping the intake, setting up the cockpit, and performing a walk-around inspection. After the exceptional release was performed and the aircraft forms were signed, my aircraft was released for flight. My assistant closed the panel where we put the forms for deployments, and we proceeded to return the speed handle to the toolbox. With the aircraft ready, my assistant and I walked into the hangar to do a few things until it was time for the morning foreign object damage walk and for the crew to show.

While we were in the hangar, there was still plenty of action on the flightline, especially on the Thunderbird in the spot next to ours. The crew chiefs on that jet were servicing a main shock strut with a nitrogen cart that was not building pressure. They asked for assistance from two of our electricians who had previous back shop experience with nitrogen carts. Since the crew servicing the strut was using the same tools that one of the electricians asked for; someone took the needed tools out of the toolbox we had left by our aircraft spot. Once the strut was fixed, the exceptional release was done and their forms were secured. The crew chief then did an inventory on their toolbox and noticed three tools were missing. They located the tools and completed the inventory on their toolbox.

All of the jets now had their exceptional releases signed, everything was crew ready and the pilots came out to their assigned aircraft. All the jets taxied out to the end of the runway without a glitch. As the assistants were down at the end of the runway performing their final inspections, I was cleaning our spot up and getting ready to turn in our toolbox when my wonderful morning turned into a nightmare.

One of our Quality Assurance (QA) people came up and asked, "Are you missing a 6-inch screwdriver?" I replied, "Of course not. We never used a screwdriver, only a speed handle set-up." We checked the toolbox anyway and sure enough there was a hole in the foam where a screwdriver should be!

Terror surged through my body as thoughts of recalling seven aircraft crossed my mind along with a thousand other things! Is the tool on or in one of our aircraft? My mind began to race through all the horrifying possibilities, but was abruptly interrupted by the QA person, "The screwdriver was down at the structural maintenance shop. They found it on the flightline road and are bringing it back."

A blanket of relief gently tingled over me, but now I was dumbfounded! "How did my screwdriver end up down there? Why wasn't it in my toolbox? Had the screwdriver stayed behind when my toolbox had been signed out of support?" Every conceivable question bombarded my mind. I soon found out some of the answers.

That day of anticipation had caused multiple lapses in Maintenance 101 practices. First, my assistant and I did not do a tool inventory after the speed handle was replaced or prior to my jet being launched. Second, neither my assistant nor I locked out toolbox when we were finished, leaving it unsecured on the flightline. Third, the individuals that borrowed the tools to fix the nitrogen cart did not do an inventory of our toolbox after using it. The investigation revealed that the screwdriver had been left on the nitrogen cart. When the cart was towed to the electrics back shop for repair, the screwdriver fell off the cart and onto the flightline road.

Tool control is paramount in our everyday life as aircraft mechanics. There is no room for complacency when it comes to aircraft maintenance and the lives of others. There should be no reason a tool inventory is not completed when you sign the toolbox out from support, before you start a job, after you have finished a job, and -- most importantly -- prior to launching an aircraft! The toolbox is the responsibility of the person who signed it out. This may seem easy and simple, but how many times have you taken it for granted that all your tools are accounted for? Failing to do the proper inspections can lead to disastrous results. The results would have been devastating if that screwdriver had lodged in the landing gear or in the engine bay of one of our aircraft. We could have lost an aircraft, a pilot, or both! It only takes a few moments to account for your tools, but it will cost you a lifetime remembering the tragic consequences if you don't.

Editors Note: We would like to thank TSgt. Richard for sharing this story. It is from both our successes and mistakes that we learn to prevent mishaps. His story is one we can all learn from. Be Safe!