Seeing a lot of guys skip the final torque check on CRJ-700 nose gear uplocks

I've watched three different mechanics at my hangar in Phoenix just hit the bolts with an impact and call it good. The manual is clear, you need a final torque pass with a calibrated wrench to 150 inch-pounds after the initial run-up. It matters because that uplock failing on taxi is a serious write-up, and I've seen it happen twice this year from hangars that don't follow the book. Anyone else's shop having to re-train on this simple step?

4 comments

4 Comments

cora_scott771mo ago

Check the torque wrenches themselves. Our shop had a batch that were out of spec right from the calibration cage. A guy would do the final pass perfectly, but the tool was lying. Found out after a QA spot check. Now we test them weekly. It's not just about skipping the step, it's about trusting broken tools.

rileyp491mo ago

Man, that's a scary thought. @cora_scott77, you're totally right that a bad tool makes following the rules pointless. It just proves you can't trust anything without checking it yourself sometimes.

patriciareed1mo ago

Yeah, that's the whole point right there. It's not that following the rules is pointless, it's that the rule itself has to include checking your tools. Trusting a broken tool is just a different kind of mistake. You're right on the money, rileyp49, it forces you to verify everything. The procedure is only as good as the gear you use to do it.

charles_kelly431mo ago

Exactly. Garbage in, garbage out. Your tools HAVE to be right first.