Saw a trainee torque a fastener with a grunt and it clicked for me

I was walking through the hangar at PHX last week and overheard a lead telling a new guy to use a torque wrench even on 'easy' bolts. The kid said he could feel it, but the lead just pointed to a 737 flap track where a hand-tightened bolt failed back in 2019. It made me realize how much we take the little steps for granted. Anyone else notice shortcuts creeping into the shop lately?

2 comments

2 Comments

ray_mitchell10d ago

Watch the new guys skip the final check on critical assemblies then brag about their speed.

kai_brown2310d ago

The other day I watched a guy skip the pressure test on a hydraulic line and call it a "time saver." That line blew two hours later and sprayed oil all over a clean room floor, cost us half a shift to clean up. Speed means nothing when you have to redo the whole job because you cut a corner. The old timers who do the full checklist end up with fewer callbacks and less equipment damage in the long run. You can't rush through the important stuff without paying for it later.