c/aircraft-mechanics

TIL a loose trim tab bolt can shake a plane apart

I was putting a Piper back together after a routine inspection. Everything seemed tight, but I rushed the final checks on the elevator trim. On the next flight, a fierce vibration started right after takeoff. It got so bad the pilot thought we might lose control. We landed and found one bolt on the trim tab hinge was almost out. I had not torqued it to spec in my hurry. Now I always use a torque wrench and put a paint dot on each bolt head after tightening. This simple visual check takes seconds and stops you from missing a loose fastener.

Stripped fuel line threads. Part backordered. Whole job stalled.

Showerthought: That eco-friendly wheel cleaner turned our tarmac into a slip-n-slide

My crew switched to a new green wheel cleaner last week, supposed to be safer for the environment. We sprayed it on a landing gear during a routine check, and dude, it got super slick out of nowhere. Next thing, a tech almost wiped out just walking by, and we had to cordon off the area like a crime scene. Now we joke that our sustainability push came with free comedy hours, lol. Back to the drawing board on that one.