Narrative:

I was assigned to comply with wet wash of aircraft X by maintenance manager. I assigned 2 mechanics and ground handler to perform task. I was approached by mechanics that covers for ports weren't found. Searching hangar and tool crib personally and was unable to find covers. My supervisor was in training and unavailable; so I told personnel to cover ports with tape. After completion of task; I observed mr M and mr right removing tape. On walkaround prior to closing task card I did not see or failed inadvertently missed any tape. I was informed this morning that tape was found on a port. I was not told which one. I feel this could have been prevented by having better pictures and explanation in task and having proper covers available in a specific location (such as the tool crib) where they are readily available to all personnel regardless of shift or skill level. Also; having a supervisor readily available to consult with on issues with tasks and tooling could have helped. Supplemental information from acn 806313: I went out into the hangar and noticed that mr M and mr right had been assigned to wash the aircraft. So I went over to join them. I joined them as they were coming around the left side of the nose going to the right side of the nose. As we were refilling the water and soap tanks; I noticed the pitot and static ports had speed tape on them. Mr K stated that the correct covers were not in the tool room as they were supposed to be and that the supervisor may know where they are but he was in training. Adding speed tape over the ports would stop any water intrusion into the system. We continued to wash the aircraft from the right side of the nose down the fuselage; around the tail and up the left side of the fuselage to just in front of the left wing; where mr M and mr right had started; this took just over 3 hours. As we were cleaning up the area; I think I remember hearing mr K tell mr M to be sure to remove the tape and mr M saying no problem; but I was in front of the left wing and they were near the nose looking back towards the aircraft. We pushed the aircraft outside and mr K finished the paperwork as we continued to clean the area that the plane was sitting in; both putting away tools and cleaning the water from the floor by using a squeegee. After that; mr K brought the logbook out to mr M and I and we were asked to taxi the aircraft to the gate. Mr M and I walked out to the aircraft and I grabbed the 3 gear pins while I thought mr M did the walkaround; he mentioned that he didn't want to bend over. We then met in the cockpit and continued with the taxi to the gate. After arriving at gate; we did not notice speed tape over the ports. This morning when mr J (supervisor) asked if I had assisted in the aircraft washing; I said 'yes; is there something wrong?' he mentioned something about tape and quickly walked away. When I asked mr J about specifics on what was found; the story changed 3 times during the day; from 1 static port to both pitot tubes and the last time it was just 1 pitot tube; so I still don't know where the tape was found. Mr J seemed very agitated when I would try to find out what was going on. As you can see; missing the speed tape was completely unintentional. In no way; would I knowingly put anyone in danger; I am not that kind of person. By only starting the task when the proper equipment is available; ie; tube covers and port covers; this could have been avoided. The have bright; big flags that would be hard to miss. Also; by using better communication skills; we could have talked to each other and followed up on each area. By asking questions or even a secondary walkaround; also could have fond the tape. By not assuming that you hear something but rather ask if that is what was said. Also; fatigue and complacency could have been part of the reason for the missed tape. After 3 hours of scrubbing and spraying; we were all tired. So doublechking with each other could have caught this before it became an issue. Supplemental information from acn 806311: we started to wash the aircraft and realized we didn't have the pitot covers installed. We decided to place speed tape over the openings to prevent any water from getting in the pitot system. After we finished washing the aircraft; I removed the tape from the pitot system. Supplemental information from acn 806314: mr C and myself washed and rinsed the entire aircraft for approximately 5 hours.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A LEAD AND THREE MECHANICS DESCRIBE THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH APPLYING SPEED TAPE OVER THE PITOT AND STATIC PORTS OF A CRJ-200; INSTEAD OF USING TUBE AND PORT COVERS WITH BIG; BRIGHT FLAGS.

Narrative: I WAS ASSIGNED TO COMPLY WITH WET WASH OF ACFT X BY MAINT MGR. I ASSIGNED 2 MECHS AND GND HANDLER TO PERFORM TASK. I WAS APCHED BY MECHS THAT COVERS FOR PORTS WEREN'T FOUND. SEARCHING HANGAR AND TOOL CRIB PERSONALLY AND WAS UNABLE TO FIND COVERS. MY SUPVR WAS IN TRAINING AND UNAVAILABLE; SO I TOLD PERSONNEL TO COVER PORTS WITH TAPE. AFTER COMPLETION OF TASK; I OBSERVED MR M AND MR R REMOVING TAPE. ON WALKAROUND PRIOR TO CLOSING TASK CARD I DID NOT SEE OR FAILED INADVERTENTLY MISSED ANY TAPE. I WAS INFORMED THIS MORNING THAT TAPE WAS FOUND ON A PORT. I WAS NOT TOLD WHICH ONE. I FEEL THIS COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED BY HAVING BETTER PICTURES AND EXPLANATION IN TASK AND HAVING PROPER COVERS AVAILABLE IN A SPECIFIC LOCATION (SUCH AS THE TOOL CRIB) WHERE THEY ARE READILY AVAILABLE TO ALL PERSONNEL REGARDLESS OF SHIFT OR SKILL LEVEL. ALSO; HAVING A SUPVR READILY AVAILABLE TO CONSULT WITH ON ISSUES WITH TASKS AND TOOLING COULD HAVE HELPED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 806313: I WENT OUT INTO THE HANGAR AND NOTICED THAT MR M AND MR R HAD BEEN ASSIGNED TO WASH THE ACFT. SO I WENT OVER TO JOIN THEM. I JOINED THEM AS THEY WERE COMING AROUND THE L SIDE OF THE NOSE GOING TO THE R SIDE OF THE NOSE. AS WE WERE REFILLING THE WATER AND SOAP TANKS; I NOTICED THE PITOT AND STATIC PORTS HAD SPD TAPE ON THEM. MR K STATED THAT THE CORRECT COVERS WERE NOT IN THE TOOL ROOM AS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BE AND THAT THE SUPVR MAY KNOW WHERE THEY ARE BUT HE WAS IN TRAINING. ADDING SPD TAPE OVER THE PORTS WOULD STOP ANY WATER INTRUSION INTO THE SYS. WE CONTINUED TO WASH THE ACFT FROM THE R SIDE OF THE NOSE DOWN THE FUSELAGE; AROUND THE TAIL AND UP THE L SIDE OF THE FUSELAGE TO JUST IN FRONT OF THE L WING; WHERE MR M AND MR R HAD STARTED; THIS TOOK JUST OVER 3 HRS. AS WE WERE CLEANING UP THE AREA; I THINK I REMEMBER HEARING MR K TELL MR M TO BE SURE TO REMOVE THE TAPE AND MR M SAYING NO PROB; BUT I WAS IN FRONT OF THE L WING AND THEY WERE NEAR THE NOSE LOOKING BACK TOWARDS THE ACFT. WE PUSHED THE ACFT OUTSIDE AND MR K FINISHED THE PAPERWORK AS WE CONTINUED TO CLEAN THE AREA THAT THE PLANE WAS SITTING IN; BOTH PUTTING AWAY TOOLS AND CLEANING THE WATER FROM THE FLOOR BY USING A SQUEEGEE. AFTER THAT; MR K BROUGHT THE LOGBOOK OUT TO MR M AND I AND WE WERE ASKED TO TAXI THE ACFT TO THE GATE. MR M AND I WALKED OUT TO THE ACFT AND I GRABBED THE 3 GEAR PINS WHILE I THOUGHT MR M DID THE WALKAROUND; HE MENTIONED THAT HE DIDN'T WANT TO BEND OVER. WE THEN MET IN THE COCKPIT AND CONTINUED WITH THE TAXI TO THE GATE. AFTER ARRIVING AT GATE; WE DID NOT NOTICE SPD TAPE OVER THE PORTS. THIS MORNING WHEN MR J (SUPVR) ASKED IF I HAD ASSISTED IN THE ACFT WASHING; I SAID 'YES; IS THERE SOMETHING WRONG?' HE MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT TAPE AND QUICKLY WALKED AWAY. WHEN I ASKED MR J ABOUT SPECIFICS ON WHAT WAS FOUND; THE STORY CHANGED 3 TIMES DURING THE DAY; FROM 1 STATIC PORT TO BOTH PITOT TUBES AND THE LAST TIME IT WAS JUST 1 PITOT TUBE; SO I STILL DON'T KNOW WHERE THE TAPE WAS FOUND. MR J SEEMED VERY AGITATED WHEN I WOULD TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON. AS YOU CAN SEE; MISSING THE SPD TAPE WAS COMPLETELY UNINTENTIONAL. IN NO WAY; WOULD I KNOWINGLY PUT ANYONE IN DANGER; I AM NOT THAT KIND OF PERSON. BY ONLY STARTING THE TASK WHEN THE PROPER EQUIP IS AVAILABLE; IE; TUBE COVERS AND PORT COVERS; THIS COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED. THE HAVE BRIGHT; BIG FLAGS THAT WOULD BE HARD TO MISS. ALSO; BY USING BETTER COM SKILLS; WE COULD HAVE TALKED TO EACH OTHER AND FOLLOWED UP ON EACH AREA. BY ASKING QUESTIONS OR EVEN A SECONDARY WALKAROUND; ALSO COULD HAVE FOND THE TAPE. BY NOT ASSUMING THAT YOU HEAR SOMETHING BUT RATHER ASK IF THAT IS WHAT WAS SAID. ALSO; FATIGUE AND COMPLACENCY COULD HAVE BEEN PART OF THE REASON FOR THE MISSED TAPE. AFTER 3 HRS OF SCRUBBING AND SPRAYING; WE WERE ALL TIRED. SO DOUBLECHKING WITH EACH OTHER COULD HAVE CAUGHT THIS BEFORE IT BECAME AN ISSUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 806311: WE STARTED TO WASH THE ACFT AND REALIZED WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PITOT COVERS INSTALLED. WE DECIDED TO PLACE SPD TAPE OVER THE OPENINGS TO PREVENT ANY WATER FROM GETTING IN THE PITOT SYS. AFTER WE FINISHED WASHING THE ACFT; I REMOVED THE TAPE FROM THE PITOT SYS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 806314: MR C AND MYSELF WASHED AND RINSED THE ENTIRE ACFT FOR APPROX 5 HRS.

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.