Narrative:

I was performing phase task cards for the left and right engines; aft equipment bay; assisting in jacking aircraft; replacing an APU fire bottle; and clearing a deferral write-up. I worked different tasks at the same time due to the aircraft going up and off jacks. The aircraft was running late and I still had leak checks to be performed on engine runs. My toolbox is shadowed and my normal routine is to inventory my toolbox after each task. The aircraft was running out of time to get to the gate. I taxied the aircraft to the gate but as we were returning to the hangar we were told to return to the gate to assist with repositioning aircraft due to a late tail swap. Upon returning to the hangar; I inventoried my toolbox and discovered a socket rail missing. I notified my supervisor who immediately checked on the status of the aircraft. It was on final at ZZZ. He called ZZZ to check the aircraft and the socket rail was recovered. I should have been more assertive; stuck with one task at a time and inventoried my toolbox after each task. If not for the repositioning of the aircraft at the gate; I still would have had time to discover the missing tool before flight. I had the right process but not the right sequence.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: After performing Phase check cards for the left and right engines; aft equipment bay; assisting in jacking aircraft; replacing APU fire bottle and taxiing the CRJ-700 to the gate; Mechanic realizes he left his socket rail on the aircraft. Socket set recovered at downline station.

Narrative: I was performing Phase task cards for the left and right engines; aft equipment bay; assisting in jacking aircraft; replacing an APU fire bottle; and clearing a deferral write-up. I worked different tasks at the same time due to the aircraft going up and off jacks. The aircraft was running late and I still had leak checks to be performed on engine runs. My toolbox is shadowed and my normal routine is to inventory my toolbox after each task. The aircraft was running out of time to get to the gate. I taxied the aircraft to the gate but as we were returning to the hangar we were told to return to the gate to assist with repositioning aircraft due to a late tail swap. Upon returning to the hangar; I inventoried my toolbox and discovered a socket rail missing. I notified my Supervisor who immediately checked on the status of the aircraft. It was on final at ZZZ. He called ZZZ to check the aircraft and the socket rail was recovered. I should have been more assertive; stuck with one task at a time and inventoried my toolbox after each task. If not for the repositioning of the aircraft at the gate; I still would have had time to discover the missing tool before flight. I had the right process but not the right sequence.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of April 2012 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.