Rookie mistake on a 737 flap track today

Forgot to safety wire a bolt on the flap track torque tube. Caught it during the final walk around. Boss gave me that look. You guys have any close calls like that lately?

3 comments

3 Comments

piperbailey1mo ago

It's funny how we beat ourselves up over the little stuff like a missing safety wire, but that's exactly the kind of thing that can turn a routine day into a real headache. Makes me wonder how many times we glance over something small and just assume it's fine because we've done it a hundred times before. That walk around is basically your last chance to catch your own brain taking a shortcut, and it's the only safety net that actually works. Everyone talks about the big failures but the close calls that get caught are the ones that teach you the most, even if the boss gives you that look like you just broke his favorite wrench.

anderson.piper1mo ago

Piperbailey is right that close calls teach you more, but I gotta push back a little on how serious the boss's look is supposed to be. Catching a missing safety wire on a walk around is basically proving you're not asleep at the wheel, right? The boss giving you a hard time about that is like getting mad at someone for checking their mirrors before merging. Sure, it's a bit of a pain in the moment, but catching a minor mistake before it becomes a major repair (or worse, a flight delay) is exactly what you're getting paid to do. Missing the wire and having it cause an issue later is the real headache, not the two seconds it takes to grab a new one and fix it.

joel_clark371mo ago

Dropped a 7/16 wrench down the intake of a CFM56 last month. Had to fish it out with a magnet on a stick while the shift lead timed me like I was on a game show. At least you caught yours before the walk around, I had to explain to the customer why their engine smelled like Harbor Freight tools.