 |
37000 Feet | Browse and search NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System |
|
While removing the forward entry door upper hinge box on a B737-300 aircraft; mechanic inadvertently drills through the box section and into the door cutout frame structure.
| Attributes | |
| ACN | 791492 |
| Time | |
| Date | 200805 |
| Local Time Of Day | 0001 To 0600 |
| Place | |
| Locale Reference | airport : zzz.airport |
| State Reference | US |
| Altitude | agl single value : 0 |
| Aircraft 1 | |
| Controlling Facilities | tower : ord.tower |
| Operator | common carrier : air carrier |
| Make Model Name | B737-300 |
| Operating Under FAR Part | Part 121 |
| Person 1 | |
| Affiliation | company : air carrier |
| Function | maintenance : technician |
| Qualification | technician : powerplant technician : airframe |
| ASRS Report | 791492 |
| Events | |
| Anomaly | aircraft equipment problem : critical maintenance problem : improper maintenance non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far |
| Independent Detector | other other : 1 |
| Resolutory Action | none taken : detected after the fact |
| Consequence | other other |
| Factors | |
| Maintenance | contributing factor : schedule pressure performance deficiency : repair performance deficiency : scheduled maintenance |
| Supplementary | |
| Problem Areas | Company Maintenance Human Performance Aircraft |
| Primary Problem | Maintenance Human Performance |
Narrative:
I was removing the forward entry door upper hinge box and the drain fitting was double flush riveted and I couldn't see the rivets; so I tried to drill the last hiloc securing the box out; with a 12 inch drill bit and curve it past the drain fitting. I didn't realize I had slipped off of the hiloc rivet until I stopped to check my drill bit's progress. When I saw I had slipped off the hiloc and drilled the box; I ground the hiloc head off and punched the shank out. It wasn't until I had removed the box that I saw I had drilled through the hinge box and into aircraft structure. I immediately told my supervisor and manager.
Original NASA ASRS Text
Title: WHILE REMOVING THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR UPPER HINGE BOX ON A B737-300 ACFT; MECHANIC INADVERTENTLY DRILLS THROUGH THE BOX SECTION AND INTO THE DOOR CUTOUT FRAME STRUCTURE.
Narrative: I WAS REMOVING THE FORWARD ENTRY DOOR UPPER HINGE BOX AND THE DRAIN FITTING WAS DOUBLE FLUSH RIVETED AND I COULDN'T SEE THE RIVETS; SO I TRIED TO DRILL THE LAST HILOC SECURING THE BOX OUT; WITH A 12 INCH DRILL BIT AND CURVE IT PAST THE DRAIN FITTING. I DIDN'T REALIZE I HAD SLIPPED OFF OF THE HILOC RIVET UNTIL I STOPPED TO CHK MY DRILL BIT'S PROGRESS. WHEN I SAW I HAD SLIPPED OFF THE HILOC AND DRILLED THE BOX; I GROUND THE HILOC HEAD OFF AND PUNCHED THE SHANK OUT. IT WASN'T UNTIL I HAD REMOVED THE BOX THAT I SAW I HAD DRILLED THROUGH THE HINGE BOX AND INTO ACFT STRUCTURE. I IMMEDIATELY TOLD MY SUPVR AND MGR.
Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 2009 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.