Narrative:

On oct/tue/06; air carrier maintenance found that a nose landing gear jack pad had become imbedded into the right inboard flap of a DC8-73 aircraft. The aircraft had 2 previous nose landing gear tire changes; one in ZZZ2 on oct/fri/06; and one in memphis on oct/fri/06. It was determined by serial number that the jack pad belonged to the ZZZ1 work station. Myself and one other mechanic removed and replaced the left nose tire on oct/fri/06. I signed off the logbook entry. The jack pad was apparently inadvertently left on the nose landing gear jack point. The jack pad became lodged on the nose gear and apparently dislodged upon landing in ZZZ on oct/tue/06; and bounced or was thrown by the tires into the right inboard flap; imbedding itself and causing damage. No control problems were reported by the flight crew. The flap damage was repaired by ferrying the aircraft from ZZZ to ZZZ3 where the right inboard flap was removed and replaced. To prevent a recurrence the following should be considered: the jack pad is difficult to install and remove. The pad tends to wedge itself on the jacking point. The jack pad could be redesigned so that it is easily removed when the jack is removed. When the jack pad is installed; it is very difficult to see. It can look as though it's part of the nose landing gear axle. Painting the pad a bright color; red or yellow; and attaching a flag streamer would eliminate this problem. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the jack pad was of the old steel type and since has been replaced with aluminum and brass pad that is thinner and cannot wedge and lock onto the nose gear strut bottom. The damage to the flap was a puncture 3 inch X 5 inch and the flap was replaced after maintenance ferrying to a maintenance facility. The reporter has written a letter of explanation to the FAA primary inspector regarding this incident. Callback conversation with reporter from acn 716229 revealed the following information: the reporter stated the only involvement in this incident was assisting in putting the tire on the axle. The airplane was already jacked when the reporter reached the airplane and helped lift the tire and wheel assembly on to the axle and made no logbook entry or job card signoff. The reporter was not present when the aircraft was lowered from the axle jack.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A DC8-73 HAD A L NOSE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY REPLACED. NOSE GEAR JACK PAD WAS LEFT ON LOWER STRUT. ON LNDG THE PAD DEPARTED NOSE GEAR IMPACTING THE R TRAILING EDGE FLAP INCURRING DAMAGE.

Narrative: ON OCT/TUE/06; ACR MAINT FOUND THAT A NOSE LNDG GEAR JACK PAD HAD BECOME IMBEDDED INTO THE R INBOARD FLAP OF A DC8-73 ACFT. THE ACFT HAD 2 PREVIOUS NOSE LNDG GEAR TIRE CHANGES; ONE IN ZZZ2 ON OCT/FRI/06; AND ONE IN MEMPHIS ON OCT/FRI/06. IT WAS DETERMINED BY SERIAL NUMBER THAT THE JACK PAD BELONGED TO THE ZZZ1 WORK STATION. MYSELF AND ONE OTHER MECH REMOVED AND REPLACED THE L NOSE TIRE ON OCT/FRI/06. I SIGNED OFF THE LOGBOOK ENTRY. THE JACK PAD WAS APPARENTLY INADVERTENTLY LEFT ON THE NOSE LNDG GEAR JACK POINT. THE JACK PAD BECAME LODGED ON THE NOSE GEAR AND APPARENTLY DISLODGED UPON LNDG IN ZZZ ON OCT/TUE/06; AND BOUNCED OR WAS THROWN BY THE TIRES INTO THE R INBOARD FLAP; IMBEDDING ITSELF AND CAUSING DAMAGE. NO CTL PROBS WERE RPTED BY THE FLT CREW. THE FLAP DAMAGE WAS REPAIRED BY FERRYING THE ACFT FROM ZZZ TO ZZZ3 WHERE THE R INBOARD FLAP WAS REMOVED AND REPLACED. TO PREVENT A RECURRENCE THE FOLLOWING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED: THE JACK PAD IS DIFFICULT TO INSTALL AND REMOVE. THE PAD TENDS TO WEDGE ITSELF ON THE JACKING POINT. THE JACK PAD COULD BE REDESIGNED SO THAT IT IS EASILY REMOVED WHEN THE JACK IS REMOVED. WHEN THE JACK PAD IS INSTALLED; IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SEE. IT CAN LOOK AS THOUGH IT'S PART OF THE NOSE LNDG GEAR AXLE. PAINTING THE PAD A BRIGHT COLOR; RED OR YELLOW; AND ATTACHING A FLAG STREAMER WOULD ELIMINATE THIS PROB. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THE JACK PAD WAS OF THE OLD STEEL TYPE AND SINCE HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH ALUMINUM AND BRASS PAD THAT IS THINNER AND CANNOT WEDGE AND LOCK ONTO THE NOSE GEAR STRUT BOTTOM. THE DAMAGE TO THE FLAP WAS A PUNCTURE 3 INCH X 5 INCH AND THE FLAP WAS REPLACED AFTER MAINT FERRYING TO A MAINT FACILITY. THE RPTR HAS WRITTEN A LETTER OF EXPLANATION TO THE FAA PRIMARY INSPECTOR REGARDING THIS INCIDENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR FROM ACN 716229 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THE ONLY INVOLVEMENT IN THIS INCIDENT WAS ASSISTING IN PUTTING THE TIRE ON THE AXLE. THE AIRPLANE WAS ALREADY JACKED WHEN THE RPTR REACHED THE AIRPLANE AND HELPED LIFT THE TIRE AND WHEEL ASSEMBLY ON TO THE AXLE AND MADE NO LOGBOOK ENTRY OR JOB CARD SIGNOFF. THE RPTR WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN THE ACFT WAS LOWERED FROM THE AXLE JACK.

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.