Narrative:

A mechanic's finger was severely cut by a spoiler during reassembly of the aircraft this morning. This event occurred on the ground at ZZZ on an aircraft undergoing maintenance. To understand the chain of events; one needs to start the previous day; in ZZZ with the same aircraft. During the power up phase of the flight; a flap fail caution message was displayed. After coordinating with maintenance and dispatch control throughout the morning; it was decided that the aircraft was not airworthy and needed to be fixed. 2 maintenance personnel arrived in ZZZ to fix the flap issue. They were assisted in the process with the local maintenance contractor; who had been working with the flight crew under supervision of maintenance control for the previous 7 hours. I am unsure as to what time the company mechanics reported for duty. During the early evening hours; we were about to time out (close to 15 hours of duty) and were released by scheduling. We went to the hotel for rest and reported the next day early for duty. The same maintenance personnel that were working on the aircraft since the day before (15 hours) were still working on the aircraft trying to fix the flap problem. Apparently; according to the mechanics; all 3 had been working on the aircraft all night with no additional sleep. Our entire flight crew expressed concern for their safety and asked if they felt fatigued that the captain would gladly make some phone calls to get them in a hotel and get some rest. The lead mechanic spoke for himself and said they were 'getting there' and if this next fix didn't work; then 'they'd be done.' I assumed that to mean going to the hotel. Approximately 5 hours later; the (assumed) lead mechanic came into the cockpit to do some final operation testing. It appeared the flap problem had been fixed and the captain entered the cockpit to begin setting up for a possible flight. The lead mechanic was in the first officer's seat; and the first officer was standing in the cockpit doorway. After the aircraft was pwred down and then re-pwred for final testing to ensure no bugs remained; the captain noted the ground and flight spoilers were still deployed. The mechanic asked the first officer to check and see if the other mechanics were clear. All morning we had only observed the mechanics working on the left side of the aircraft; and the contract mechanic's maintenance van was clear of the aircraft on the right side forward of the right wing. The first officer looked out the main cabin door at the left wing and didn't see any personnel out there; as did the captain through the cockpit window. No placards were posted in the cockpit signifying to not to energize any system. At that point the captain; as directed by the lead mechanic; who was sitting right next to him; moved the ground lift dumping switch from manual arm to automatic. Then the captain began to move the spoiler lever slowly until yelling began. He immediately fully deployed the spoilers and threw the ground lift dumping switch back to manual arm. Unfortunately it was too late. The other company mechanic was working on the right wing within the ground lift dumping system to access something below when his finger was cut to the bone. At the time he went to the hospital he still retained movement of his finger. The captain called operations on the radio to request a paramedic. The lead mechanic radioed to maintenance control. The flight attendant rushed paper towels to stop the bleeding. Then the captain called ground control since the paramedics had not yet arrived; in order to obtain quicker medical attention since the airplane was parked very close to the fire house. Possible causal factors include above all else mechanics being fatigued as having possibly been on duty for over 24 hours. Improper deploy and stow procedures for potentially deadly aircraft system. Failure of all persons not to verify all men and equipment clear of all control surfaces on both sides of the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CL-600 (CRJ-200) ACFT SPOILER WAS RETRACTED CAUSING MECHANIC'S FINGER TO BE SEVERELY CUT.

Narrative: A MECH'S FINGER WAS SEVERELY CUT BY A SPOILER DURING REASSEMBLY OF THE ACFT THIS MORNING. THIS EVENT OCCURRED ON THE GND AT ZZZ ON AN ACFT UNDERGOING MAINT. TO UNDERSTAND THE CHAIN OF EVENTS; ONE NEEDS TO START THE PREVIOUS DAY; IN ZZZ WITH THE SAME ACFT. DURING THE PWR UP PHASE OF THE FLT; A FLAP FAIL CAUTION MESSAGE WAS DISPLAYED. AFTER COORDINATING WITH MAINT AND DISPATCH CTL THROUGHOUT THE MORNING; IT WAS DECIDED THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT AIRWORTHY AND NEEDED TO BE FIXED. 2 MAINT PERSONNEL ARRIVED IN ZZZ TO FIX THE FLAP ISSUE. THEY WERE ASSISTED IN THE PROCESS WITH THE LCL MAINT CONTRACTOR; WHO HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE FLT CREW UNDER SUPERVISION OF MAINT CTL FOR THE PREVIOUS 7 HRS. I AM UNSURE AS TO WHAT TIME THE COMPANY MECHS RPTED FOR DUTY. DURING THE EARLY EVENING HRS; WE WERE ABOUT TO TIME OUT (CLOSE TO 15 HRS OF DUTY) AND WERE RELEASED BY SCHEDULING. WE WENT TO THE HOTEL FOR REST AND REPORTED THE NEXT DAY EARLY FOR DUTY. THE SAME MAINT PERSONNEL THAT WERE WORKING ON THE ACFT SINCE THE DAY BEFORE (15 HRS) WERE STILL WORKING ON THE ACFT TRYING TO FIX THE FLAP PROB. APPARENTLY; ACCORDING TO THE MECHS; ALL 3 HAD BEEN WORKING ON THE ACFT ALL NIGHT WITH NO ADDITIONAL SLEEP. OUR ENTIRE FLT CREW EXPRESSED CONCERN FOR THEIR SAFETY AND ASKED IF THEY FELT FATIGUED THAT THE CAPT WOULD GLADLY MAKE SOME PHONE CALLS TO GET THEM IN A HOTEL AND GET SOME REST. THE LEAD MECH SPOKE FOR HIMSELF AND SAID THEY WERE 'GETTING THERE' AND IF THIS NEXT FIX DIDN'T WORK; THEN 'THEY'D BE DONE.' I ASSUMED THAT TO MEAN GOING TO THE HOTEL. APPROX 5 HRS LATER; THE (ASSUMED) LEAD MECH CAME INTO THE COCKPIT TO DO SOME FINAL OP TESTING. IT APPEARED THE FLAP PROB HAD BEEN FIXED AND THE CAPT ENTERED THE COCKPIT TO BEGIN SETTING UP FOR A POSSIBLE FLT. THE LEAD MECH WAS IN THE FO'S SEAT; AND THE FO WAS STANDING IN THE COCKPIT DOORWAY. AFTER THE ACFT WAS PWRED DOWN AND THEN RE-PWRED FOR FINAL TESTING TO ENSURE NO BUGS REMAINED; THE CAPT NOTED THE GND AND FLT SPOILERS WERE STILL DEPLOYED. THE MECH ASKED THE FO TO CHK AND SEE IF THE OTHER MECHS WERE CLR. ALL MORNING WE HAD ONLY OBSERVED THE MECHS WORKING ON THE L SIDE OF THE ACFT; AND THE CONTRACT MECH'S MAINT VAN WAS CLR OF THE ACFT ON THE R SIDE FORWARD OF THE R WING. THE FO LOOKED OUT THE MAIN CABIN DOOR AT THE L WING AND DIDN'T SEE ANY PERSONNEL OUT THERE; AS DID THE CAPT THROUGH THE COCKPIT WINDOW. NO PLACARDS WERE POSTED IN THE COCKPIT SIGNIFYING TO NOT TO ENERGIZE ANY SYS. AT THAT POINT THE CAPT; AS DIRECTED BY THE LEAD MECH; WHO WAS SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM; MOVED THE GND LIFT DUMPING SWITCH FROM MANUAL ARM TO AUTO. THEN THE CAPT BEGAN TO MOVE THE SPOILER LEVER SLOWLY UNTIL YELLING BEGAN. HE IMMEDIATELY FULLY DEPLOYED THE SPOILERS AND THREW THE GND LIFT DUMPING SWITCH BACK TO MANUAL ARM. UNFORTUNATELY IT WAS TOO LATE. THE OTHER COMPANY MECH WAS WORKING ON THE R WING WITHIN THE GND LIFT DUMPING SYS TO ACCESS SOMETHING BELOW WHEN HIS FINGER WAS CUT TO THE BONE. AT THE TIME HE WENT TO THE HOSPITAL HE STILL RETAINED MOVEMENT OF HIS FINGER. THE CAPT CALLED OPS ON THE RADIO TO REQUEST A PARAMEDIC. THE LEAD MECH RADIOED TO MAINT CTL. THE FLT ATTENDANT RUSHED PAPER TOWELS TO STOP THE BLEEDING. THEN THE CAPT CALLED GND CTL SINCE THE PARAMEDICS HAD NOT YET ARRIVED; IN ORDER TO OBTAIN QUICKER MEDICAL ATTN SINCE THE AIRPLANE WAS PARKED VERY CLOSE TO THE FIRE HOUSE. POSSIBLE CAUSAL FACTORS INCLUDE ABOVE ALL ELSE MECHS BEING FATIGUED AS HAVING POSSIBLY BEEN ON DUTY FOR OVER 24 HRS. IMPROPER DEPLOY AND STOW PROCS FOR POTENTIALLY DEADLY ACFT SYS. FAILURE OF ALL PERSONS NOT TO VERIFY ALL MEN AND EQUIP CLR OF ALL CTL SURFACES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ACFT.

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.