Ever lose a tool in your airplane?

[Pmerems]

Have you ever lost a tool in your airplane and never found it? Not a good situation.

Read this interesting article about loosing a pair of pliers only to be found many decades later.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...a3c_story.html

[Canadian_JOY]

I have a bucking bar that rode around in the wingtip of a commercial aircraft. It could only have been "installed" there when the aircraft was manufactured, and I discovered it when the aircraft was in for a new spar, having time-X'd its original spar. Man, did the skin in the wing panel ever have a nice shine to it!

[KatieB]

Originally Posted by Pmerems

Have you ever lost a tool in your airplane and never found it? Not a good situation.

Read this interesting article about loosing a pair of pliers only to be found many decades later.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local...a3c_story.html

That is a really cool article! Thanks for posting it.

[kevinh]

I flew my piper colt to a mechanic so they could (if memory serves) reface the vernatherm seat. When I went to pick it up I was doing a preflight and I found an 18" maglight inside the engine compartment. When I walked back to their hangar with the flashlight you could see the sudden looks of embarrassment...

[MercFE]

Found a complete socket set, including the case, in the wall of a military aircraft during heavy maintenance. Tracked it down to belonging to a contractor that did a modification on the aircraft 4-5 years prior.

Another aircraft, had an engine flame out at altitude 4 times in one week. Every time they did ground runs, it worked fine. Finally caught the low fuel pressure on the next near flame out, prompting a look in the tanks. Found two or three hazmat mats in the tank from the last cell maintenance a couple years prior.

Then, there's this...

http://www.defensetech.org/2012/01/2...shed-a-jstars/

[az_gila]

A friend bought a new German sailplane and when he first looped it he heard a loud clunk in the aft fuselage.

A little investigating found a 3 pound mallet that must have been in the fuselage when the factory glued the two halves together.

A little PO'd he called the US agent/importer who was well known for nickel and diming customers with small items. The first thing the agent did was call to his wife "Hey dear, did we charge Bob for that mallet?"

Even he had to laugh...


---------------------------------------

And even the big boys can lose flashlights. I saw this one from my office -

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-09-...rgency-landing

[f1rocket]

Yep my RV-6 has a countersinking bit inside it somewhere.

[Vern]

When I do DAR inspections I commonly find tools.
Be careful folks!

[Mel]

I have a very nice, high dollar, torque wrench that I found on top of an engine while doing an annual. Owner said it wasn't his. Now it's mine.

The Air Force taught us to do a tool inventory after any maintenance/inspection.

[Jaypratt]

I have a nice bucking bar that was flying in a Comanche 260B wheel well. No idea how long and how many miles it traveled.