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A B737 pilot reports finding tools in the aircraft wheel well after the aircraft had flown four flight's since the last maintenance.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 793500 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200807 |
| Local Time Of Day | 1201 To 1800 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Environment | |
| Flight Conditions | VMC |
| Light | Daylight |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-700 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Flight Phase | ground : preflight |
| Flight Plan | IFR |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | flight crew : first officer |
| Experience | flight time last 90 days : 296 flight time type : 1000 |
| ASRS Report | 793500 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | ground encounters : fod non adherence : company policies non adherence : far non adherence : published procedure |
| Independent Detector | other flight crewa other flight crewb |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Flight Crew Human Performance Maintenance Human Performance |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
During aircraft walkaround on a non-originating; I discovered a metal bowl full of drill bits; screw drivers; and pliers lodged in port wheelwell; next to hydraulic lines. I took the bowl and contents to the captain and he called maintenance. I decided to go back to the wheelwell and make sure I had recovered all of the FOD. Upon closer inspection; I noticed a drill also laying on the area between where the tires would be if the gear were raised. Maintenance came out to the aircraft to inspect the area and recover the tools. No work was done on the aircraft during the turn. Maintenance control researched the history and found the tools were left there by maintenance while changing the rubber seals on the wheelwell the previous day. The aircraft had flown 4 legs with the tools in the wheelwell. ZZZ maintenance re-inspected the area and confirmed the plane was safe for flight. We departed for a normal flight. This could have been prevented by better tool accountability after maintenance work is performed. Unaccounted tools found on preflight.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: A B737 PILOT REPORTS FINDING TOOLS IN THE ACFT WHEEL WELL AFTER THE ACFT HAD FLOWN FOUR FLT'S SINCE THE LAST MAINTENANCE.
Narrative: DURING ACFT WALKAROUND ON A NON-ORIGINATING; I DISCOVERED A METAL BOWL FULL OF DRILL BITS; SCREW DRIVERS; AND PLIERS LODGED IN PORT WHEELWELL; NEXT TO HYD LINES. I TOOK THE BOWL AND CONTENTS TO THE CAPT AND HE CALLED MAINT. I DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE WHEELWELL AND MAKE SURE I HAD RECOVERED ALL OF THE FOD. UPON CLOSER INSPECTION; I NOTICED A DRILL ALSO LAYING ON THE AREA BTWN WHERE THE TIRES WOULD BE IF THE GEAR WERE RAISED. MAINT CAME OUT TO THE ACFT TO INSPECT THE AREA AND RECOVER THE TOOLS. NO WORK WAS DONE ON THE ACFT DURING THE TURN. MAINT CTL RESEARCHED THE HISTORY AND FOUND THE TOOLS WERE LEFT THERE BY MAINT WHILE CHANGING THE RUBBER SEALS ON THE WHEELWELL THE PREVIOUS DAY. THE ACFT HAD FLOWN 4 LEGS WITH THE TOOLS IN THE WHEELWELL. ZZZ MAINT RE-INSPECTED THE AREA AND CONFIRMED THE PLANE WAS SAFE FOR FLT. WE DEPARTED FOR A NORMAL FLT. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY BETTER TOOL ACCOUNTABILITY AFTER MAINT WORK IS PERFORMED. UNACCOUNTED TOOLS FOUND ON PREFLT.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.