Narrative:

On feb/tue/03, I was assigned to work on an air carrier X B737. The first time I went to the aircraft, around XA30 that night with my lead mr X and the foreman mr Y, the fuel had been running out of the drip stick about mid wing on the left side. After trying for a few mins to reset the fuel stick, the decision was made to defuel the wing past the panel to stop the fuel leak. The fuelers arrived and accomplished the defueling operation which stopped the fuel from leaking. We tried removing the drip stick out of the retainer as the maintenance manual described we should be able to do, and in the process found one of the retainer screws damaged. We were able to remove the screw but there was too much resistance when we tried to remove the drip stick so instead of forcing the stick out, the decision was made to remove the panel to gain access to the back of the stick. At about the same time our workload increased and we were pulled from the job. Before I left the area, the flight crew was informed of the situation. Later on that night, approximately XD00, I was again sent up to the aircraft to repair the leak. Since my lead mr X was not able to go with me and since I was not qualified by air carrier X to sign their logbook, mr Z (another lead mechanic who is qualified) was tasked to work with me. I transferred as much fuel as I could to the right wing which would ensure that the fuel load would be below the access panel. At the start of the panel removal, I informed the lead and the foreman that one of the panel retaining screws was damaged and that I didn't know if we were going to be able to remove it. After several attempts, we were successful and we removed the panel. At this point because of the WX, mr Z and I took the panel over to the work area and I replaced 2 of the o-rings. The flight crew was informed that the aircraft had to be pwred down and at that time the aircraft power was turned off and the external power on the jetway turned off as well. By now the shift was coming to a close and a turnover was given to mr Y, mr Z, and the next shift lead mechanic (mr a). All of the hardware was gathered and put with the panel. At this point we were still missing the 2 screws that were found damaged on removal of the dipstick and panel. The job was now given to the next shift lead and I left the area. Evidently the job was never finished and by morning the fuel panel had not been reinstalled. This left an open fuel tank exposed to the WX as well as fuel vapors being allowed to escape the tank.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A TECHNICIAN RPTS A B737 FUEL TANK PANEL WAS REMOVED TO REPAIR A LEAKING DRIP STICK. SAFETY CONDITIONS IGNORED WITH OPEN PARTIALLY FILLED TANK AND NO WARNINGS POSTED.

Narrative: ON FEB/TUE/03, I WAS ASSIGNED TO WORK ON AN ACR X B737. THE FIRST TIME I WENT TO THE ACFT, AROUND XA30 THAT NIGHT WITH MY LEAD MR X AND THE FOREMAN MR Y, THE FUEL HAD BEEN RUNNING OUT OF THE DRIP STICK ABOUT MID WING ON THE L SIDE. AFTER TRYING FOR A FEW MINS TO RESET THE FUEL STICK, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO DEFUEL THE WING PAST THE PANEL TO STOP THE FUEL LEAK. THE FUELERS ARRIVED AND ACCOMPLISHED THE DEFUELING OP WHICH STOPPED THE FUEL FROM LEAKING. WE TRIED REMOVING THE DRIP STICK OUT OF THE RETAINER AS THE MAINT MANUAL DESCRIBED WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, AND IN THE PROCESS FOUND ONE OF THE RETAINER SCREWS DAMAGED. WE WERE ABLE TO REMOVE THE SCREW BUT THERE WAS TOO MUCH RESISTANCE WHEN WE TRIED TO REMOVE THE DRIP STICK SO INSTEAD OF FORCING THE STICK OUT, THE DECISION WAS MADE TO REMOVE THE PANEL TO GAIN ACCESS TO THE BACK OF THE STICK. AT ABOUT THE SAME TIME OUR WORKLOAD INCREASED AND WE WERE PULLED FROM THE JOB. BEFORE I LEFT THE AREA, THE FLT CREW WAS INFORMED OF THE SIT. LATER ON THAT NIGHT, APPROX XD00, I WAS AGAIN SENT UP TO THE ACFT TO REPAIR THE LEAK. SINCE MY LEAD MR X WAS NOT ABLE TO GO WITH ME AND SINCE I WAS NOT QUALIFIED BY ACR X TO SIGN THEIR LOGBOOK, MR Z (ANOTHER LEAD MECH WHO IS QUALIFIED) WAS TASKED TO WORK WITH ME. I TRANSFERRED AS MUCH FUEL AS I COULD TO THE R WING WHICH WOULD ENSURE THAT THE FUEL LOAD WOULD BE BELOW THE ACCESS PANEL. AT THE START OF THE PANEL REMOVAL, I INFORMED THE LEAD AND THE FOREMAN THAT ONE OF THE PANEL RETAINING SCREWS WAS DAMAGED AND THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO REMOVE IT. AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPTS, WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AND WE REMOVED THE PANEL. AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF THE WX, MR Z AND I TOOK THE PANEL OVER TO THE WORK AREA AND I REPLACED 2 OF THE O-RINGS. THE FLT CREW WAS INFORMED THAT THE ACFT HAD TO BE PWRED DOWN AND AT THAT TIME THE ACFT PWR WAS TURNED OFF AND THE EXTERNAL PWR ON THE JETWAY TURNED OFF AS WELL. BY NOW THE SHIFT WAS COMING TO A CLOSE AND A TURNOVER WAS GIVEN TO MR Y, MR Z, AND THE NEXT SHIFT LEAD MECH (MR A). ALL OF THE HARDWARE WAS GATHERED AND PUT WITH THE PANEL. AT THIS POINT WE WERE STILL MISSING THE 2 SCREWS THAT WERE FOUND DAMAGED ON REMOVAL OF THE DIPSTICK AND PANEL. THE JOB WAS NOW GIVEN TO THE NEXT SHIFT LEAD AND I LEFT THE AREA. EVIDENTLY THE JOB WAS NEVER FINISHED AND BY MORNING THE FUEL PANEL HAD NOT BEEN REINSTALLED. THIS LEFT AN OPEN FUEL TANK EXPOSED TO THE WX AS WELL AS FUEL VAPORS BEING ALLOWED TO ESCAPE THE TANK.

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.