An old DC-9 taught me the hard way about torque values on coffee makers

I used to just snug up the mounting hardware on galley coffee makers until they felt tight, but after a 3 AM flight out of St. Louis last month, one came loose and dumped hot coffee on my leg during a vibration check. The lead mechanic said I should have torqued it to 35 inch-pounds per the manual, which I had been ignoring for years. Has anyone else had a tiny fastener cause a big mess like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

andrew_sanchez941mo ago

Your story about the coffee maker coming loose during a vibration check really hit home for me." That sounds like a rough way to learn a lesson, and I bet that burn on your leg didn't help either. It's wild how something so small can cause such a big problem when you least expect it.

the_jenny1mo ago

Did you ever check if the vibration rating on the coffee maker matched what your machine was putting out, or was it just a random brand that happened to fit? That mismatch is what usually gets people in trouble, not the test itself lol.