Narrative:

I was informed tonight that aircraft X had an after takeoff abort. Upon investigation; it was discovered that a fuel nozzle xfer tube had come loose due to a locking clip missing. On jul/xa/08; I helped another mechanic; who was finishing up a hot section inspection; with the installation of the fuel nozzles. I helped him remove the old seals from the xfer tube; then helped him install the new seals. Then after everything was prepared he handed me the first nozzle and told me where to put it on the engine. We then installed the nozzles back into their proper places. At that point; the other mechanic went to the left side of the engine and I started on the right side of the engine installing the locking clips and bolts. When I got to the very bottom nozzle; clip and bolt assembly; I had trouble getting them to line up and get the bolts in. After trying for about 20 mins; I asked the other mechanic to try and get the bolts in. I then started to torque all the bolts that I could; then the other mechanic had told me that he had gotten the bottom one taken care of and we could start safety wiring the bolts. When all was done; I asked him to check my work as this was the first time I had done this task. He said everything looked good and that we could service oil; cowl up the plane and run the engine for a leak check. The other mechanic started the engine and I was in the right seat watching. Everything was normal. He shut down the engine and we looked for leaks. We didn't find any. I checked oil; I think I svced 1 quart. Then I went back to the other aircraft in the hangar and continued to work on it. I was notified today that the aircraft had aborted after takeoff; and it was discovered that a locking clip was missing and that the xfer tube had migrated loose causing the abort. Contributing factors: my inexperience; wanting to get the job done quickly; not reviewing the task in detail; and relying on the experienced mechanic to make sure everything was in order was a factor in this event. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: reporter stated the 'after takeoff abort' he mentioned in his report means the pilot aborted during the takeoff roll while on the runway due to loss of engine power. Reporter also stated the clips for the two fuel nozzles and fuel transfer tubes were installed backwards; creating the fuel leak and loss of engine power. Supplemental information from acn 800360: the work scope was to replace the small exit duct in the engine. We split the engine and removed the fuel nozzles to access the small exit duct. During reassembly; I showed the other mechanic how the fuel nozzles were to be installed and the sequence assigned to each nozzle. The fuel nozzles were installed and safetied. The work scope was completed and engine runs and leak checks were completed and no leaks noted. In ZZZ on the next month the pilot reported loss of power on taxi and a fuel leak from the engine compartment. A mechanic was dispatched and found that the #8 and #9 fuel nozzle xfer tube retaining clips were installed incorrectly and the xfer tube had slid out of the fuel nozzle body creating a fuel leak and loss of power. To prevent this from recurring; I would recommend that required inspection items be implemented and only trained personnel be allowed to perform these functions. Callback conversation with reporter acn #800360 revealed the following information: reporter stated his company operates under far 135 with less than nine seats. As a result; even though the fuel nozzles and fuel transfer tubes were removed and reinstalled and would normally be a required inspection item (rii); that requirement is not mandated under their operations. Reporter stated he wishes the rii would be mandated regardless of the number of seats in the aircraft.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TWO MECHANICS ARE INFORMED THE CESSNA 208B CARAVAN THEY PREVIOUSLY WORKED HAD A TKOF ABORT. FUEL TRANSFER TUBE HAD SLID OUT OF THE PT6-114A ENGINE FUEL NOZZLE BODY; CREATING A FUEL LEAK AND LOSS OF POWER.

Narrative: I WAS INFORMED TONIGHT THAT ACFT X HAD AN AFTER TKOF ABORT. UPON INVESTIGATION; IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A FUEL NOZZLE XFER TUBE HAD COME LOOSE DUE TO A LOCKING CLIP MISSING. ON JUL/XA/08; I HELPED ANOTHER MECH; WHO WAS FINISHING UP A HOT SECTION INSPECTION; WITH THE INSTALLATION OF THE FUEL NOZZLES. I HELPED HIM REMOVE THE OLD SEALS FROM THE XFER TUBE; THEN HELPED HIM INSTALL THE NEW SEALS. THEN AFTER EVERYTHING WAS PREPARED HE HANDED ME THE FIRST NOZZLE AND TOLD ME WHERE TO PUT IT ON THE ENG. WE THEN INSTALLED THE NOZZLES BACK INTO THEIR PROPER PLACES. AT THAT POINT; THE OTHER MECH WENT TO THE L SIDE OF THE ENG AND I STARTED ON THE R SIDE OF THE ENG INSTALLING THE LOCKING CLIPS AND BOLTS. WHEN I GOT TO THE VERY BOTTOM NOZZLE; CLIP AND BOLT ASSEMBLY; I HAD TROUBLE GETTING THEM TO LINE UP AND GET THE BOLTS IN. AFTER TRYING FOR ABOUT 20 MINS; I ASKED THE OTHER MECH TO TRY AND GET THE BOLTS IN. I THEN STARTED TO TORQUE ALL THE BOLTS THAT I COULD; THEN THE OTHER MECH HAD TOLD ME THAT HE HAD GOTTEN THE BOTTOM ONE TAKEN CARE OF AND WE COULD START SAFETY WIRING THE BOLTS. WHEN ALL WAS DONE; I ASKED HIM TO CHK MY WORK AS THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME I HAD DONE THIS TASK. HE SAID EVERYTHING LOOKED GOOD AND THAT WE COULD SVC OIL; COWL UP THE PLANE AND RUN THE ENG FOR A LEAK CHK. THE OTHER MECH STARTED THE ENG AND I WAS IN THE R SEAT WATCHING. EVERYTHING WAS NORMAL. HE SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND WE LOOKED FOR LEAKS. WE DIDN'T FIND ANY. I CHKED OIL; I THINK I SVCED 1 QUART. THEN I WENT BACK TO THE OTHER ACFT IN THE HANGAR AND CONTINUED TO WORK ON IT. I WAS NOTIFIED TODAY THAT THE ACFT HAD ABORTED AFTER TKOF; AND IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT A LOCKING CLIP WAS MISSING AND THAT THE XFER TUBE HAD MIGRATED LOOSE CAUSING THE ABORT. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MY INEXPERIENCE; WANTING TO GET THE JOB DONE QUICKLY; NOT REVIEWING THE TASK IN DETAIL; AND RELYING ON THE EXPERIENCED MECH TO MAKE SURE EVERYTHING WAS IN ORDER WAS A FACTOR IN THIS EVENT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED THE 'AFTER TAKEOFF ABORT' HE MENTIONED IN HIS REPORT MEANS THE PILOT ABORTED DURING THE TAKEOFF ROLL WHILE ON THE RUNWAY DUE TO LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. REPORTER ALSO STATED THE CLIPS FOR THE TWO FUEL NOZZLES AND FUEL TRANSFER TUBES WERE INSTALLED BACKWARDS; CREATING THE FUEL LEAK AND LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 800360: THE WORK SCOPE WAS TO REPLACE THE SMALL EXIT DUCT IN THE ENG. WE SPLIT THE ENG AND REMOVED THE FUEL NOZZLES TO ACCESS THE SMALL EXIT DUCT. DURING REASSEMBLY; I SHOWED THE OTHER MECH HOW THE FUEL NOZZLES WERE TO BE INSTALLED AND THE SEQUENCE ASSIGNED TO EACH NOZZLE. THE FUEL NOZZLES WERE INSTALLED AND SAFETIED. THE WORK SCOPE WAS COMPLETED AND ENG RUNS AND LEAK CHKS WERE COMPLETED AND NO LEAKS NOTED. IN ZZZ ON THE NEXT MONTH THE PLT RPTED LOSS OF PWR ON TAXI AND A FUEL LEAK FROM THE ENG COMPARTMENT. A MECH WAS DISPATCHED AND FOUND THAT THE #8 AND #9 FUEL NOZZLE XFER TUBE RETAINING CLIPS WERE INSTALLED INCORRECTLY AND THE XFER TUBE HAD SLID OUT OF THE FUEL NOZZLE BODY CREATING A FUEL LEAK AND LOSS OF PWR. TO PREVENT THIS FROM RECURRING; I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEMS BE IMPLEMENTED AND ONLY TRAINED PERSONNEL BE ALLOWED TO PERFORM THESE FUNCTIONS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR ACN #800360 REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: REPORTER STATED HIS COMPANY OPERATES UNDER FAR 135 WITH LESS THAN NINE SEATS. AS A RESULT; EVEN THOUGH THE FUEL NOZZLES AND FUEL TRANSFER TUBES WERE REMOVED AND REINSTALLED AND WOULD NORMALLY BE A REQUIRED INSPECTION ITEM (RII); THAT REQUIREMENT IS NOT MANDATED UNDER THEIR OPERATIONS. REPORTER STATED HE WISHES THE RII WOULD BE MANDATED REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF SEATS IN THE ACFT.

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.