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Silver duct tape was placed over the fuel vents by maintenance and not removed by inspector who signed aircraft off as airworthy. The so did not see it on his preflight. The aircraft flew that way from msp to sea where it was discovered.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 277727 |
| Time | |
| Date | 199407 |
| Day | Tue |
| Local Time Of Day | 0601 To 1200 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : msp |
| State Reference | MN |
| Altitude | agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B747-100 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Navigation In Use | Other Other |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : second officer |
| Qualification | pilot : flight engineer pilot : cfi pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 175 flight time total : 10000 |
| ASRS Report | 277727 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : captain oversight : pic |
| Qualification | pilot : atp |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 120 flight time total : 19000 |
| ASRS Report | 277921 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | Other |
| Supplementary | |
| Primary Problem | Flight Crew Human Performance |
| Air Traffic Incident | Pilot Deviation |
Narrative:
Aircraft arrived at gate from maintenance hangar via runup area. During preflight I did not notice that the wing fuel vents had been covered over with aluminum tape. The aircraft was flown from msp to sea with no problems. The next so found the tape and it was removed by maintenance. The following day, maintenance told me about the incident. This tape was missed by myself and 2 maintenance preflts one in msp and one in sea. Contributing factors: 1) Y high wing and bright sun light. 2) aircraft arrived late at gate. 3) I was concerned with gear pins installed and maintenance had an engine cowling open. I believe it would be better if maintenance could put a flag or streamer on the tape when they cover vital components during maintenance. Ie, fuel vents and pitot static ports. Another possibility would be red or bright color tape not silver.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: SILVER DUCT TAPE WAS PLACED OVER THE FUEL VENTS BY MAINT AND NOT REMOVED BY INSPECTOR WHO SIGNED ACFT OFF AS AIRWORTHY. THE SO DID NOT SEE IT ON HIS PREFLT. THE ACFT FLEW THAT WAY FROM MSP TO SEA WHERE IT WAS DISCOVERED.
Narrative: ACFT ARRIVED AT GATE FROM MAINT HANGAR VIA RUNUP AREA. DURING PREFLT I DID NOT NOTICE THAT THE WING FUEL VENTS HAD BEEN COVERED OVER WITH ALUMINUM TAPE. THE ACFT WAS FLOWN FROM MSP TO SEA WITH NO PROBS. THE NEXT SO FOUND THE TAPE AND IT WAS REMOVED BY MAINT. THE FOLLOWING DAY, MAINT TOLD ME ABOUT THE INCIDENT. THIS TAPE WAS MISSED BY MYSELF AND 2 MAINT PREFLTS ONE IN MSP AND ONE IN SEA. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1) Y HIGH WING AND BRIGHT SUN LIGHT. 2) ACFT ARRIVED LATE AT GATE. 3) I WAS CONCERNED WITH GEAR PINS INSTALLED AND MAINT HAD AN ENG COWLING OPEN. I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF MAINT COULD PUT A FLAG OR STREAMER ON THE TAPE WHEN THEY COVER VITAL COMPONENTS DURING MAINT. IE, FUEL VENTS AND PITOT STATIC PORTS. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY WOULD BE RED OR BRIGHT COLOR TAPE NOT SILVER.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.