WRENCHES IN FLIGHT CONTROLS
I was an A/2C (E-3) B-47E maintenance crew chief in the 98th Bomb Wing
at Lincoln AFB, NE, from Oct '57 to Mar '60, when I left to attend Officer
Candidate School (OCS).
In late '59, my aircraft was in the periodic inspection hanger for
several days for certain detailed and time-required inspections and
maintenance, including lubrication of flap actuators, tracks and rollers.
During mid-morning break one day during this time, I noticed one of the
flaperons, part of the flap that would spill (hinge upward) with the aileron
to aid lateral control at low airspeeds, was in the spilled position - an
unnatural condition with no power on the aircraft.
Investigating what was holding the flaperon in the spilled position, I
found two nice open-end wrenches jammed in between the actuator levers and
the wing rib structure above. This could have caused serious structural
damage to the wing if somebody had turned the battery switch on or started
the external power unit (MD-3). Hydraulic pressure at 3000 psi would likely
have suddenly shoved the wrenches upward through the wing.
I removed the two wrenches and waited for the owner to return from
break, at which time, I had a serious "talk" with him about the dangers of
leaving wrenches in flight controls. He tried to give me a lame excuse
about making it easier to grease flap rollers and tracks, and I warned him
that if I found the wrenches in the wing again, they were going be mine.
Later, when I returned from lunch, guess what! I found the flaperon on
the other side of the airplane held in the spilled position with the same
wrenches!! 'Didn't even confront the culprit this time - just took the
wrenches as promised and put 'em in my tool box, where they remain today.
Every time I've used 'em for the last 57 years I've thought of that careless
mechanic and that B-47 with no holes punched in the wings.
Wilton Strickland, LtCol, USAF (Ret)
5000 hrs in B-52D, E, F, G, H
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