jana_jones•1mo agoOG Member

Nearly fried a $12k panel at SFO because of a loose connector

Was troubleshooting a comm issue on a Gulfstream at SFO last month and almost sent 12VAC straight into the audio panel. That loose D-sub ground wire would've cost me my job. Anyone else double-checking every backshell after seeing this?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimmurphy1mo ago

Pulled a similar bonehead move last year on a King Air... was reinstalling the co-pilot's audio panel and forgot to tighten down the ground lug on the backshell. Luckily caught it during the pre-flight check when the radios went silent after engine start. That loose connection would've been a nightmare to trace once the plane was buttoned up and rolling.

grays131mo ago

You're giving yourself way too much credit for catching that. The fact that you missed the ground lug in the first place means the pre-flight check saved you from your own mistake, but that doesn't make it a win. Real pros don't leave loose connections to discover later, they torque everything down right the first time. Pre-flight checks are for double checking systems, not for finding basic assembly errors. Honestly catching it doesn't excuse the sloppy install in the first place.

william_garcia1mo ago

Classic aviation stuff. But honestly this kind of thing happens everywhere. Seen plenty of guys at the shop forget to tighten a bolt on a car wheel and only catch it when the car starts shaking on the test drive. Same principle. We all rush through the last step because we think the hard part is done. That's when the stupid mistakes happen.