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A B757-200 returned to the field due to unsafe indication on the left main landing gear caused by wipe rag interfering with the gear sensor.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 653879 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200504 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B757-200 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : inspection authority technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| Experience | maintenance technician : 16 |
| ASRS Report | 653879 |
| Person 2 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | aircraft equipment other aircraft equipment : left gear unsafe warning other flight crewa other flight crewb other other : 936 |
| Resolutory Action | controller : separated traffic flight crew : diverted to alternate |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : lighting contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance performance deficiency : inspection |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Chart Or Publication Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
I and another employee inspected and lubed all 3 landing gear on aircraft X. It had an emergency landing for l-hand main landing gear did not indicate down and locked reference log page #xxxxx. The cause of the problem was found to be a rag hung up in the sensor. I lube a gear starting at the top and work down; that way I don't miss anything and clean as I move down the gear. I never leave tools or rags on the aircraft when not using them. They remain on top of the ladder and with me. I have been using this method for the last 10 yrs. After the gear is lubed; we clean up the area; remove ladders and any grease that may have hit the floor. There were 2 of us lubing all 3 gear and 2 sets of eyes checking everything for problems and FOD. We finished the gear around XA00 hours and moved on to the nose gear. After we left the gear; we didn't return to work in that area again that night. It was lubed and inspected and the area clean. On these 'a' checks; there are several cards that have many mechanics working in common areas. The trailing edge wing lube was also done that night; the inboard flap transmission is in the l-hand wheel well also. There was a work card for general visual inspections -- also that card has you inspect the delta 'P' indicators on the hydraulic filters located in the wheel well also. Also; pressure is released for the hydraulic in the wheel well; normally done with a rag to keep your eyes from burning from the vapors. We cleaned up our area and left. I didn't see any rags in the gear at that time. I don't know if someone else left a rag in the area later or if it was left in the wheel well area in a spot away from the gear and blown around on takeoff and ended up on the gear or if it was picked up on the taxi to the gate. I talked to the guys who taxied the aircraft to the gate and they said they did a walkaround also before taxi and saw no rags or FOD in the gear or engines.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B757-200 RETURNED TO THE FIELD DUE TO UNSAFE INDICATION ON THE L MAIN LNDG GEAR CAUSED BY WIPE RAG INTERFERING WITH THE GEAR SENSOR.
Narrative: I AND ANOTHER EMPLOYEE INSPECTED AND LUBED ALL 3 LNDG GEAR ON ACFT X. IT HAD AN EMER LNDG FOR L-HAND MAIN LNDG GEAR DID NOT INDICATE DOWN AND LOCKED REF LOG PAGE #XXXXX. THE CAUSE OF THE PROB WAS FOUND TO BE A RAG HUNG UP IN THE SENSOR. I LUBE A GEAR STARTING AT THE TOP AND WORK DOWN; THAT WAY I DON'T MISS ANYTHING AND CLEAN AS I MOVE DOWN THE GEAR. I NEVER LEAVE TOOLS OR RAGS ON THE ACFT WHEN NOT USING THEM. THEY REMAIN ON TOP OF THE LADDER AND WITH ME. I HAVE BEEN USING THIS METHOD FOR THE LAST 10 YRS. AFTER THE GEAR IS LUBED; WE CLEAN UP THE AREA; REMOVE LADDERS AND ANY GREASE THAT MAY HAVE HIT THE FLOOR. THERE WERE 2 OF US LUBING ALL 3 GEAR AND 2 SETS OF EYES CHKING EVERYTHING FOR PROBS AND FOD. WE FINISHED THE GEAR AROUND XA00 HRS AND MOVED ON TO THE NOSE GEAR. AFTER WE LEFT THE GEAR; WE DIDN'T RETURN TO WORK IN THAT AREA AGAIN THAT NIGHT. IT WAS LUBED AND INSPECTED AND THE AREA CLEAN. ON THESE 'A' CHKS; THERE ARE SEVERAL CARDS THAT HAVE MANY MECHS WORKING IN COMMON AREAS. THE TRAILING EDGE WING LUBE WAS ALSO DONE THAT NIGHT; THE INBOARD FLAP XMISSION IS IN THE L-HAND WHEEL WELL ALSO. THERE WAS A WORK CARD FOR GENERAL VISUAL INSPECTIONS -- ALSO THAT CARD HAS YOU INSPECT THE DELTA 'P' INDICATORS ON THE HYD FILTERS LOCATED IN THE WHEEL WELL ALSO. ALSO; PRESSURE IS RELEASED FOR THE HYD IN THE WHEEL WELL; NORMALLY DONE WITH A RAG TO KEEP YOUR EYES FROM BURNING FROM THE VAPORS. WE CLEANED UP OUR AREA AND LEFT. I DIDN'T SEE ANY RAGS IN THE GEAR AT THAT TIME. I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE ELSE LEFT A RAG IN THE AREA LATER OR IF IT WAS LEFT IN THE WHEEL WELL AREA IN A SPOT AWAY FROM THE GEAR AND BLOWN AROUND ON TKOF AND ENDED UP ON THE GEAR OR IF IT WAS PICKED UP ON THE TAXI TO THE GATE. I TALKED TO THE GUYS WHO TAXIED THE ACFT TO THE GATE AND THEY SAID THEY DID A WALKAROUND ALSO BEFORE TAXI AND SAW NO RAGS OR FOD IN THE GEAR OR ENGS.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.