Narrative:

I am currently employed as an a&P mechanic at company X at ZZZ1. As part of my duties as a supervisor, I am in charge of overnight maintenance on transient aircraft. For company Y, saturday and sunday nights, I complete the assigned workload with another mechanic. On the night of may/sun/02, we completed an LC2 (five check 2) and an APU 1200 hour inspection on aircraft X. After completing the inspections, the aircraft was towed out of the hangar to await the arrival of the air crew. After the arrival of the air crew, an APU start was attempted with negative results. After several attempts to start the APU which involved several trips to the aft equipment area to access the APU ecu, the APU was deferred to the MEL section of the aircraft logbook. The aircraft then cranked up and departed our ramp. Later on that morning, at approximately XA00, we were informed by company Y that while completing their through-flight checks on the ground in ZZZ, they experienced a binding in the elevator control system. Upon returning to the gate, the ground personnel found a shop towel lodged against one of the pulleys in the elevator control system. Although the origin of the shop towel is not for certain, it is quite possible the towel fell from my pockets or my tote tray and went unnoticed as the aircraft departed, in order to prevent this from recurring, we have implemented the use of a tooling/supply (consumables) checklist to be used prior to an aircraft departure to ensure all equipment is removed prior to the aircraft departing our facility.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CANADAIR CL65 WAS RPTED BY A FLC ON PREFLT CHK OF BINDING ELEVATORS CAUSED BY SHOP RAG LODGED IN AN ELEVATOR PULLEY.

Narrative: I AM CURRENTLY EMPLOYED AS AN A&P MECH AT COMPANY X AT ZZZ1. AS PART OF MY DUTIES AS A SUPVR, I AM IN CHARGE OF OVERNIGHT MAINT ON TRANSIENT ACFT. FOR COMPANY Y, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHTS, I COMPLETE THE ASSIGNED WORKLOAD WITH ANOTHER MECH. ON THE NIGHT OF MAY/SUN/02, WE COMPLETED AN LC2 (FIVE CHK 2) AND AN APU 1200 HR INSPECTION ON ACFT X. AFTER COMPLETING THE INSPECTIONS, THE ACFT WAS TOWED OUT OF THE HANGAR TO AWAIT THE ARR OF THE AIR CREW. AFTER THE ARR OF THE AIR CREW, AN APU START WAS ATTEMPTED WITH NEGATIVE RESULTS. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS TO START THE APU WHICH INVOLVED SEVERAL TRIPS TO THE AFT EQUIP AREA TO ACCESS THE APU ECU, THE APU WAS DEFERRED TO THE MEL SECTION OF THE ACFT LOGBOOK. THE ACFT THEN CRANKED UP AND DEPARTED OUR RAMP. LATER ON THAT MORNING, AT APPROX XA00, WE WERE INFORMED BY COMPANY Y THAT WHILE COMPLETING THEIR THROUGH-FLT CHKS ON THE GND IN ZZZ, THEY EXPERIENCED A BINDING IN THE ELEVATOR CTL SYS. UPON RETURNING TO THE GATE, THE GND PERSONNEL FOUND A SHOP TOWEL LODGED AGAINST ONE OF THE PULLEYS IN THE ELEVATOR CTL SYS. ALTHOUGH THE ORIGIN OF THE SHOP TOWEL IS NOT FOR CERTAIN, IT IS QUITE POSSIBLE THE TOWEL FELL FROM MY POCKETS OR MY TOTE TRAY AND WENT UNNOTICED AS THE ACFT DEPARTED, IN ORDER TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING, WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED THE USE OF A TOOLING/SUPPLY (CONSUMABLES) CHKLIST TO BE USED PRIOR TO AN ACFT DEP TO ENSURE ALL EQUIP IS REMOVED PRIOR TO THE ACFT DEPARTING OUR FACILITY.

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.