An ATR 72 incurred ingestion damage to #1 engine turbine blades allegedly caused by a tech leaving a tool in the engine inlet while replacing a propeller deicer lead.

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Attributes
ACN	527061
Time
Date	200110
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	0601 To 1200
Place
Locale Reference	airport : zzz.airport
State Reference	US
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Weather Elements	Rain other
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	ATR 72
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : maintenance ground : parked
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	maintenance : technician
Qualification	technician : airframe technician : powerplant
Experience	maintenance technician : 10
ASRS Report	527061
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight attendant : on duty oversight : flight attendant in charge
Qualification	flight attendant : currently qualified
Events
Anomaly	aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far
Independent Detector	other flight crewb other other : 2
Resolutory Action	none taken : detected after the fact
Consequence	other other other
Factors
Maintenance	contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : non compliance with legal requirements
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Aircraft Environmental Factor Maintenance Human Performance
Primary Problem	Aircraft

Narrative:

I work for an air carrier X, an airframe and power plant mechanic for 10 years. On 10/thu/01 at XA00 was sent to aircraft X with a propeller deice problem on #1 engine. After troubleshooting, found deice lead broken on #2 blade. I was working problem alone, high winds, intermittent rain. I replaced deice lead, preformed operations check of system by running #1 engine, with no defects noted and returned aircraft to service. Upon returning to work following day I was notified by maintenance supervisor at hangar to see if I was missing any tools. I took inventory of toolbox and could find none missing to best of my knowledge. The aircraft had made a full leg back to ZZZ. The day I returned it to service, it had sparks coming from #1 engine which was noticed by flight attendant and verified by first officer. The aircraft landed without incident. Discrepancy was written up by crew, then #1 engine was borescoped and found to have damage to turbine blades. I was the last mechanic to have preformed maintenance on the #1 engine.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ATR 72 INCURRED INGESTION DAMAGE TO #1 ENG TURBINE BLADES ALLEGEDLY CAUSED BY A TECH LEAVING A TOOL IN THE ENG INLET WHILE REPLACING A PROPELLER DEICER LEAD.

Narrative: I WORK FOR AN ACR X, AN AIRFRAME AND POWER PLANT MECH FOR 10 YEARS. ON 10/THU/01 AT XA00 WAS SENT TO ACFT X WITH A PROP DEICE PROBLEM ON #1 ENG. AFTER TROUBLESHOOTING, FOUND DEICE LEAD BROKEN ON #2 BLADE. I WAS WORKING PROBLEM ALONE, HIGH WINDS, INTERMITTENT RAIN. I REPLACED DEICE LEAD, PREFORMED OPS CHECK OF SYS BY RUNNING #1 ENG, WITH NO DEFECTS NOTED AND RETURNED ACFT TO SVC. UPON RETURNING TO WORK FOLLOWING DAY I WAS NOTIFIED BY MAINT SUPVR AT HANGAR TO SEE IF I WAS MISSING ANY TOOLS. I TOOK INVENTORY OF TOOLBOX AND COULD FIND NONE MISSING TO BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE. THE ACFT HAD MADE A FULL LEG BACK TO ZZZ. THE DAY I RETURNED IT TO SVC, IT HAD SPARKS COMING FROM #1 ENG WHICH WAS NOTICED BY FLT ATTENDANT AND VERIFIED BY FIRST OFFICER. THE ACFT LANDED WITHOUT INCIDENT. DISCREPANCY WAS WRITTEN UP BY CREW, THEN #1 ENG WAS BORESCOPED AND FOUND TO HAVE DAMAGE TO TURBINE BLADES. I WAS THE LAST MECH TO HAVE PREFORMED MAINT ON THE #1 ENG.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.