A B737-400 was dispatched after maintenance with the possibility of a tool left in the #1 engine cow...

Attributes
ACN	382525
Time
Date	199710
Day	Fri
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl bound lower : 0 agl bound upper : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-400
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	Other Other
Flight Phase	other
Flight Plan	None
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other
Qualification	other other : other
ASRS Report	382525
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	other personnel other oversight : supervisor
Qualification	other other : other
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : less severe non adherence : published procedure other anomaly other
Independent Detector	other other : unspecified
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	Other
Supplementary
Primary Problem	Aircraft
Air Traffic Incident	other

Narrative:

On oct/xx/97, during the installation of the wiring of engineering order #xyz (thrust reverse sync lock modification) I was installing safety wire on the sync lock cannon plug backshell on the #1 engine. This took place during the last phase of this engineering order and near the completion of this aircraft's visit for scheduled maintenance (qchk). The aircraft was released for service on oct/xa/97. It seems I may have lost a pair of safety wire pliers at this time. The next time I needed to use the safety wire pliers was on oct/xb/97. I looked for the pliers and was unable to find them at my work area or in my tool box. On oct/xc/97, I remembered the last place I used the pliers which was on the #1 engine on the outboard side. The pliers may have fallen and lodged behind the mechanism during the clean up and completion of the sync lock engineering order. At this point I contacted maintenance control through a safety coordinator to have the engine cowl opened for inspection as soon as maintenance was available at a station where the aircraft had arrived. Aircraft #1 engine cowl opened at xyz on oct/xd/97 XY00 hours (nothing found).

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-400 WAS DISPATCHED AFTER MAINT WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF A TOOL LEFT IN THE #1 ENG COWLING AND SUBSEQUENT INSPECTION FOUND NO TOOL IN COWLING.

Narrative: ON OCT/XX/97, DURING THE INSTALLATION OF THE WIRING OF ENGINEERING ORDER #XYZ (THRUST REVERSE SYNC LOCK MODIFICATION) I WAS INSTALLING SAFETY WIRE ON THE SYNC LOCK CANNON PLUG BACKSHELL ON THE #1 ENG. THIS TOOK PLACE DURING THE LAST PHASE OF THIS ENGINEERING ORDER AND NEAR THE COMPLETION OF THIS ACFT'S VISIT FOR SCHEDULED MAINT (QCHK). THE ACFT WAS RELEASED FOR SVC ON OCT/XA/97. IT SEEMS I MAY HAVE LOST A PAIR OF SAFETY WIRE PLIERS AT THIS TIME. THE NEXT TIME I NEEDED TO USE THE SAFETY WIRE PLIERS WAS ON OCT/XB/97. I LOOKED FOR THE PLIERS AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND THEM AT MY WORK AREA OR IN MY TOOL BOX. ON OCT/XC/97, I REMEMBERED THE LAST PLACE I USED THE PLIERS WHICH WAS ON THE #1 ENG ON THE OUTBOARD SIDE. THE PLIERS MAY HAVE FALLEN AND LODGED BEHIND THE MECHANISM DURING THE CLEAN UP AND COMPLETION OF THE SYNC LOCK ENGINEERING ORDER. AT THIS POINT I CONTACTED MAINT CTL THROUGH A SAFETY COORDINATOR TO HAVE THE ENG COWL OPENED FOR INSPECTION AS SOON AS MAINT WAS AVAILABLE AT A STATION WHERE THE ACFT HAD ARRIVED. ACFT #1 ENG COWL OPENED AT XYZ ON OCT/XD/97 XY00 HRS (NOTHING FOUND).

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.

A B737-400 was dispatched after maintenance with the possibility of a tool left in the #1 engine cowling and subsequent inspection found no tool in cowling.