By ADC Sean Riley
T
he day started like any other: FOD walk down, maintenance meeting, cup of coffee. However, when all was said and done, more than $500K in damage had been done, an engine had been FODed, and a pilot had to declare an emergency and make a three-engine landing. Here’s how it happened. Fleet Readiness Center Southeast (FRCSE) mechs do what is called an over-the-wing (OTW) gearbox change, which involves removing and replacing the reduction gearbox assembly (RGB). This common task is done at the “I “
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level and is used by the “O” level in place of an engine change. On June 27, 2011, FRCSE I-Level personnel got a work request for an OTW for VP-5 because of an RGB failure. A CDI and two workers were sent to remove the old RGB and install a new one. But before they could start work, the squadron had to prepare the aircraft for “I” level maintenance. Here’s where things started to go wrong. The mechs didn’t bag and tag all of the hardware they removed, so it wasn’t all accounted for. A bolt that would later FOD the engine was misplaced and was later found deep inside the compressor section. In other words, when FRCSE personnel started work, each part that was removed by the squadron hadn’t been accounted for by both parties involved in the maintenance. That was strike one. As maintenance progressed during the reinstallation of the RGB, a mech noticed that an airinlet housing bolt (which secures
Mech
