Narrative:

I was working as part of an engine field service team working a chronic 'no start' and engine fuel valve problem. I was involved in trouble shooting the problem and helping replace the [wiring] harness from the engine firewall and also various other trouble shooting tasks. On a july day; 2012; I completed the reinstallation of the j-box (junction box) top cover and in the process used a 1/4' - 5/16' inch ratchet ring wrench. When I had finished this job; I went upstairs and cleaned the spanner [wrench] and had lunch. Later that evening before we finished for the night; I asked a fellow mechanic to pass me the said wrench and we could not find it. A brief search of my tool box; clothing; engine and cabin was carried out and we could not find the wrench. As it had been a long day we went to the hotel and would complete a thorough search in the morning. We returned the next morning and carried out a thorough search of the engine. Four mechanics spent in excess of one hour and as much as two hours searching the engine using lights; mirrors and magnetic pick-up tools in the area above the heat shield. We also checked tool box and cabin again and the ramp area. We accomplished a 'dry motor' [engine rotation using air] with cowlings open to try to see if we could hear the wrench move. We then accomplished a series of six engine runs over several hours as part of our checks. We then opened cowls and searched again to ensure wrench was not there and if it was; if the [engine] runs had moved its' position. Approximately five hours later; I called maintenance control engine desk and informed them of everything that we had done. I told them that I was unable to say for certain where the wrench was; but that we had done everything that we could to ensure it was not on the engine; but that I could not for certain say that it was not there. I asked that at the end of the ferry flight; that another search be accomplished in case the wrench was still in the engine and had now moved.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A Line Mechanic working a chronic 'No-Start' and Engine Fuel Valve problem on a B767-300 aircraft describes the efforts of four mechanics and himself to locate a misplaced ratchet ring type wrench that was used during the reinstallation of an Engine J-Box cover.

Narrative: I was working as part of an Engine Field Service team working a chronic 'No Start' and Engine Fuel Valve problem. I was involved in trouble shooting the problem and helping replace the [wiring] harness from the Engine Firewall and also various other trouble shooting tasks. On a July day; 2012; I completed the reinstallation of the J-Box (Junction Box) top cover and in the process used a 1/4' - 5/16' inch Ratchet Ring wrench. When I had finished this job; I went upstairs and cleaned the Spanner [wrench] and had lunch. Later that evening before we finished for the night; I asked a fellow Mechanic to pass me the said wrench and we could not find it. A brief search of my tool box; clothing; engine and cabin was carried out and we could not find the wrench. As it had been a long day we went to the hotel and would complete a thorough search in the morning. We returned the next morning and carried out a thorough search of the engine. Four mechanics spent in excess of one hour and as much as two hours searching the engine using lights; mirrors and magnetic pick-up tools in the area above the heat shield. We also checked tool box and cabin again and the ramp area. We accomplished a 'Dry Motor' [engine rotation using air] with cowlings open to try to see if we could hear the wrench move. We then accomplished a series of six Engine runs over several hours as part of our Checks. We then opened cowls and searched again to ensure wrench was not there and if it was; if the [Engine] runs had moved its' position. Approximately five hours later; I called Maintenance Control Engine desk and informed them of everything that we had done. I told them that I was unable to say for certain where the wrench was; but that we had done everything that we could to ensure it was not on the engine; but that I could not for certain say that it was not there. I asked that at the end of the Ferry Flight; that another search be accomplished in case the wrench was still in the engine and had now moved.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.