The shift where nothing went right and I almost walked off the ramp

Last Tuesday I had a C-check turnaround on a 737 and every single bolt fought me. Started with a frozen panel screw on the left engine cowling that took 45 minutes with an impact and PB Blaster. Then I found three cracked clamps on the bleed air line that weren't in the parts order. Spent an extra two hours tracking down a mechanic from the hangar who had them. By the time I buttoned it up at 7 PM, the flight was delayed 4 hours and the lead just stared at me like it was my fault. Has anyone else had a shift where the plane just seemed to fight back for no reason?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden_butler2719d ago

Oh man, that whole "cold panel screw from hell" thing is a rite of passage on night shifts, isn't it? Next time a bolt doesn't budge after five minutes, just hit it with heat first and some penetrating oil, then walk away for a bit to let it soak in. And honestly, if the lead gives you that look again, just shrug and tell them the plane had a worse day than you did, it usually kills the tension.

taylor_hayes2518d ago

@hayden_butler27 nailed it with the heat and oil trick. In my experience, grabbing a coffee while it soaks works way better than fighting it. That lead comment is gold too, I've used something similar a few times and it usually gets a laugh instead of a lecture.