Warning: That weeping wing bolt took me 8 hours to find on a Cessna 172

I was working a Cessna 172 that had a slow fuel leak from the right wing tank. I spent 6 hours chasing seals, drain valves, and fuel lines before I noticed a tiny damp spot on the bottom of the wing skin. Turns out a single screw holding the wing root fairing had backed out and was letting fuel weep past the seal. Has anyone else burned a whole shift on something that small?

2 comments

2 Comments

thomas_roberts26d ago

I mean, "weeping wing bolt" sounds like something you'd name a band, not spend 8 hours tracking down on a Cessna. That tiny damp spot is the worst kind of troll move, like a check engine light that turns off as soon as you pull into the shop. It's always the one screw you didn't touch that decides to stage a mutiny against your entire shift. I've definitely spent way too long chasing phantom leaks just to find out it was a moisture drip from my own coffee cup condensation. Maybe it's just me but I swear those little screws have a sixth sense for when you're already behind schedule.

clairem3826d ago

Blame the sealant supplier's batch, bet your torque wrench wasn't even the real problem.