Buckshot Bob Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 https://americanmilitarynews.com/2024/01/missing-flashlight-causes-4-million-in-damage-to-f-35-engine/?utm_campaign=DailyEmails&utm_source=AM_Email&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Master_List&utm_campaign=14fb50d97d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2024_01_23_10_03&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9c4ef113e0-14fb50d97d-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]&mc_cid=14fb50d97d&mc_eid=8e61bad2f9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alpo Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 I didn't follow the link, but just reading the name of it. All of our tools had to be marked. First initial, last initial, final four. Our boxes were all shadowed, so you could see it at a glance if there was something not back in the box. And we had a plane leave here and land in West Virginia. And what they were doing something up with the nose wheel a mini mag fell out. And somebody here got fired. I think they pulled his A&P, but I know they fired him. It didn't cause any damage to the aircraft, but it could have. And he should have caught it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 The article said an MM1 left the flashlight on the engine intake shroud so I assume by this it was a Navy plane. MM1 is Machinist Mate first class petty officer (E-6) Most E-6’s in the Navy are career Navy. That MM1 will have this incident follow him or her the rest of their time in the Navy, as they should. An E-6 should know better. I wonder if the Navy still maintains that weather station in Greenland? I see some new digs for that MM1 in the future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770 Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 16 minutes ago, Alpo said: I didn't follow the link, but just reading the name of it. All of our tools had to be marked. First initial, last initial, final four. Our boxes were all shadowed, so you could see it at a glance if there was something not back in the box. And we had a plane leave here and land in West Virginia. And what they were doing something up with the nose wheel a mini mag fell out. And somebody here got fired. I think they pulled his A&P, but I know they fired him. It didn't cause any damage to the aircraft, but it could have. And he should have caught it. In Naval Aviation, every tool is marked with a number that tells which box and which shop it belongs to. As Alpo said, each box is shadowed, and each shadow is marked to the tool. Tool boxes are checked out of the Tool Room. When checked out, the box is opened and inventoried by both the Tool Room Attendant and whoever is checking it out. Additionally, each box has several "Tool Tags" so that any tools not kept in the box, (torque wrenches or other specialized tools) needed for the job can be checked out. To return the tool box, it's again inventoried. The tool box cannot be checked in unless all tools and the Tool Tags are present. Unauthorized tools, (pocket knives, etc.) are not allowed on the Flight Line. A missing tool is cause to shut down Flight Ops until it is found. We tried to NOT let that happen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 That is why positive tool control exists. A couple of people should loose a strip or two for failing to follow established procedures. As was often pointed during my time in the Navy working on naval Aircraft and associated mission systems. "NATOPS is written with the blood of those that came before." (NATOPS) Naval Air Training and Operating Procedures Standardization Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 5 minutes ago, Pat Riot said: The article said an MM1 left the flashlight on the engine intake shroud so I assume by this it was a Navy plane. MM1 is Machinist Mate first class petty officer (E-6) Most E-6’s in the Navy are career Navy. That MM1 will have this incident follow him or her the rest of their time in the Navy, as they should. An E-6 should know better. I wonder if the Navy still maintains that weather station in Greenland? I see some new digs for that MM1 in the future. I think in this case, MM1 refers to maintenance man 1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Kloehr Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 "According to the report, prior to engaging the engine, one member of the maintenance unit conducted the required tool inventory check, noting a missing flashlight. Another maintenance squadron member inspected the engine with a flashlight. Following this inspection, this squadron member placed the flashlight on the edge of the engine intake. This member did not conduct a routine inventory check, which resulted in the flashlight being left on the intake. While the engine was in operation, no warning signs were noted from the cockpit that the engine had encountered foreign material. However, at the end of the test run, maintenance personnel became aware of abnormal sounds from the engine compartment. The engine of the F-35A is estimated to have suffered $3,933,106 in damage. According to the report, each member assigned to conduct the modifications was fully qualified for the duties they were to perform. USAF Colonel Sean S. Brammer-Hogan, President of the Accident Investigation Board, noted the failure of all squadron members to follow inventory protocol resulted in the costly accident. " So as I read it, someone lost a flashlight and followed protocol by reporting it. Someone else used a second flashlight, did not find the first flashlight, left the second flashlight on the engine cowl. The engine then likely sucked up two flashlights and made unhappy noises. And the first guy who reported the lost flashlight is probably at fault for losing the flashlight he reported missing by following the procedure for missing tools. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Riot Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Just now, Sedalia Dave said: I think in this case, MM1 refers to maintenance man 1. Ah, okay. Thanks. Regardless, that person’s aviation career just took a turn for the worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sedalia Dave Posted January 23 Share Posted January 23 Just now, Pat Riot said: Ah, okay. Thanks. Regardless, that person’s aviation career just took a turn for the worse. yep Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J.D. Daily Posted January 24 Share Posted January 24 2 hours ago, Pat Riot said: The article said an MM1 left the flashlight on the engine intake shroud so I assume by this it was a Navy plane. MM1 is Machinist Mate first class petty officer (E-6) Most E-6’s in the Navy are career Navy. That MM1 will have this incident follow him or her the rest of their time in the Navy, as they should. An E-6 should know better. I wonder if the Navy still maintains that weather station in Greenland? I see some new digs for that MM1 in the future. In some MOS's, ones that require a longer commitment because training takes a long time E-6 before separation is not uncommon. My youngest grandson reached the rank of PO1 as a member of the CVN-78's reactor crew. He separated before the Ford was deployed to the Mediterranean. Unless the DOD requires personnel performing aircraft inspections and maintenance to pass through metal detectors these types of accidents will happen in the future because of human factors. Additionally besides shadows of tools in toolboxes even tool in the box should have RFI tags so tools in boxes scanned before storage in tool room. With the RFID inventory checks are automated which eliminates the human errors except for cheating. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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