A Mechanic Left a Work Light in the Wing of a Qantas Jet. It Flew for Two Days Before Anyone Found It
Investigators said the 33-centimeter light was missed during tool checks, and Qantas has strengthened pre-clearance inspections after the foreign-object lapse.
- On Monday, Australian investigators reported a Qantas-operated A380 flew to Dallas-Fort Worth and back with a 33cm work light left inside its wing after maintenance in Sydney on January 7.
- Maintenance staff failed to follow "foreign object clearance" inspections or tool accountability procedures during air-conditioning repairs, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau .
- ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell described the incident as a "breakdown" in accountability, noting that foreign objects pose a "significant risk to the safe operation of an aircraft."
- Qantas voluntarily reported the event and introduced a mandatory pre-clearance check to confirm all tooling is accounted for following maintenance, a spokesperson said.
- This incident follows a December 2023 event where a tool was left inside a Qantas A380 engine, though Mitchell said the two incidents were insufficient evidence to suggest systemic problems.
23 Articles
23 Articles
Qantas A380 flew with a work light left inside its wing
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has found that a maintenance work light was left inside the left wing of a Qantas Airbus A380 during scheduled work at Sydney Airport (SYD), and that the aircraft went on to fly two international sectors before the tool was recovered. The final report into investigation AO-2026-004, released on August 17, 2026, states the light was inadvertently left in the wing following maintenance on the aircraft…
Mechanic left maintenance light in wing of Qantas jet. It was two days before anyone found it
A passenger jet flew for two days and carried hundreds of people after a mechanic's work light was accidentally left inside its wing, Australian investigators reported.
A mechanic left a work light in the wing of a Qantas jet. It flew for two days before anyone found it
A passenger jet flew for two days and carried hundreds of people after a mechanic’s work light was accidentally left inside of its wing, Australian investigators reported Monday.
Qantas A380 flew to US and back with maintenance light left in wing
A Qantas A380 was cleared to fly passengers from Sydney to Dallas and back with a large maintenance light accidentally left inside its wing. It comes after a large tool was left inside the airline's superjet in 2023.
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