4 minute read
Be the Best
Photos courtesy of AD1 (AW) Jonathan J Hunt, ENS Brandon Shackelford and CDR Christopher M Amis
WHEN AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE MEETS AN IMMOVABLE OBJECT
By AD3 (AW) Thomas R. Scott
It was an unusually cold late February night on the flight line at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, home of America’s forward-deployed Carrier Air Wing, CVW-5. Usually, shore-based operations have a little more relaxed pace than underway operations, but this was a hectic shift on top of an unusually busy workweek.
Maintenance control warned everyone that at least two of the currently “down” jets would need to be “up” to successfully execute the flight schedule in the morning. Like many squadrons, ours leaned heavily on night check to get things done. My shop was also spread a little thin as a result of Sailors attending mandatory training in the morning. To pick up a bit of the slack, Maintenance Control tasked our “Mech”-qualified Quality Assurance Representative (QAR) with conducting maintenance instead of conducting their regular duties acting as safety observers.
As a qualified turn operator and Collateral Duty Inspector (CDI), I was well-positioned to make a significant contribution in taking a dent out of the workload. After speaking with the other CDI and qualified “turn body” in the shop, we agreed to split the workload to get as many of the tasks done as possible. With a plan to work from easiest to hardest, we could complete our own tasks and come together to conquer more challenging tasks at the end of the night. I volunteered to take on two downed generators and an engine wash. All of these tasks required low power turns. I’ve been through the routine of conducting these kinds of turns plenty of times before. When preparing for a turn, a series of steps need to be completed before approaching the jet.
First, the turn operator is supposed to read the Aircraft Discrepancy Book (ADB). Then there is the gathering of all the required personnel. Specifically, you need the turn operator, a plane captain, a CDI, two safety observers and a flight deck Chief.
Once you’ve completed all the prerequisites and gathered the required personnel, a brief is held in maintenance control to ensure everyone is on the same page.
Finally, the turn operator is given a turn card to head out to the jet for final inspections and, eventually, the turn itself. I repeatedly completed this routine and would be lying if I said I wasn’t feeling a little complacent and overconfident with my abilities.
AFTER REMOVING AND REPLACING THE SECOND GENERATOR, I GOT READY FOR THE ENGINE WASH LOW POWER TURN.” By this time everyone was busy. It was cold outside and I figured it would be fine without the extra personnel since I was so used to this type of turn. After all, I had another Sailor out on the jet to make sure everything was safe and secure. After the walk around, I hopped in the cockpit. I then turned the battery on and proceeded to start up the Auxiliary Power Unit (APU). When the green light for the APU came on, I began to motor the port engine. Everything seemed fine until I saw the safety run to the jet. My shipmate flagged me down; immediately, I shut down the engine and climbed out of the cockpit to see what happened. It turns out that the 64L door got caught on the moving trailing edge flap, resulting in breaking off the hinges and piercing the flap. I notified the QAR and other shop notitied the CDIs about the incident. How could this have happened? I was so focused on getting the engine wash done that the 64L door was left in the upright position to be ready for the next task! I also didn’t realize that when an APU is cranking one of the motors, the hydraulic pumps kick in and the flight surfaces move even with the flaps in the full position and the flaps switch in the full position. Naval Aviation demands focus, communication and adherence to the procedure for the safe execution of aviation maintenance. Permitting complacency, overconfidence or distraction on the flight line only serves to tempt disaster. This story should serve as a perfect example of why we, aviation maintenance professionals, should not take complacency lightly. Pay attention, do your pre-ops; take your time and never think, “It won’t happen to me!” We hope our brothers and sisters up and down the flight line can benefit from our mistake, as we all strive to be the best! #1
