"well, we'll never do that again"

[777_max]

Calling all line service professionals...
What's the worst "oh crap moment you've had?

I'll start with ours from today.
Brand new global express rolls up. They ask for fuel and lav service. I'm taking care of the fuel and I ask my (stupid)visor if he's ever done a GLEX lav before. He says yup, no problem and we get to work. The stupidvisor proceeds to dump the lav and pump a few gallons of blue juice into the aircraft. After i'm done fueling, the pilot comes to me and asks if the lav has been done yet. I say yes, dumped and blue juiced. The pilot turns away from me and proceeds to rip my stupidvisor a new one. Apparently Global Express lavs don't take blue juice. Doh! Live and learn.

 

[Rich421]

A buddy of mine was towing a Piper Navajo up to the line (for the pilot who was already there waiting) and jokingly said "I wonder what would happen if I hit the shifter from reverse to drive" and while in the motion of pretending to do it, actually hit the shifter into drive. Ripped the nose gear off and the front of the plane collapsed to the ground.

 

[knot4u]

Calling all line service professionals...
What's the worst "oh crap moment you've had?

I'll start with ours from today.
Brand new global express rolls up. They ask for fuel and lav service. I'm taking care of the fuel and I ask my (stupid)visor if he's ever done a GLEX lav before. He says yup, no problem and we get to work. The stupidvisor proceeds to dump the lav and pump a few gallons of blue juice into the aircraft. After i'm done fueling, the pilot comes to me and asks if the lav has been done yet. I say yes, dumped and blue juiced. The pilot turns away from me and proceeds to rip my stupidvisor a new one. Apparently Global Express lavs don't take blue juice. Doh! Live and learn.

Some Globals have one chemical toilet and one vacuum toilet. Easy mistake to make I suppose.

 

[777_max]

Some Globals have one chemical toilet and one vacuum toilet. Easy mistake to make I suppose.

Not sure if this one was set up like that or not. You'd think the folks at Bombardier would put a placard saying "potable water only". The lesson learned here is, you can never ask too many questions, even when it comes to the lav.

A buddy of mine was towing a Piper Navajo up to the line (for the pilot who was already there waiting) and jokingly said "I wonder what would happen if I hit the shifter from reverse to drive" and while in the motion of pretending to do it, actually hit the shifter into drive. Ripped the nose gear off and the front of the plane collapsed to the ground.

Ouch!! We had someone who left a tug idling unsupervised right in front of the nose on a citation mustang. The thing rolled into the nose of the mustang and punched the nose cone right in. At least it didn't damage the radar, which would add way more $$$ to the repair bill.

 

[BCTAv8r]

One time someone towed a GPU at night with the plug still connected to the aircraft. Cable broke off from the GPU and there was no damage to the aircraft.

 

[Deleted member 27505]

Calling all line service professionals...
What's the worst "oh crap moment you've had?

I'll start with ours from today.
Brand new global express rolls up. They ask for fuel and lav service. I'm taking care of the fuel and I ask my (stupid)visor if he's ever done a GLEX lav before. He says yup, no problem and we get to work. The stupidvisor proceeds to dump the lav and pump a few gallons of blue juice into the aircraft. After i'm done fueling, the pilot comes to me and asks if the lav has been done yet. I say yes, dumped and blue juiced. The pilot turns away from me and proceeds to rip my stupidvisor a new one. Apparently Global Express lavs don't take blue juice. Doh! Live and learn.

Yet another in the never-ending list of stories that should reinforce the lesson that a pilot should always be present for aircraft servicing.

 

[XPLineGuy]

Calling all line service professionals...
What's the worst "oh crap moment you've had?

I'll start with ours from today.
Brand new global express rolls up. They ask for fuel and lav service. I'm taking care of the fuel and I ask my (stupid)visor if he's ever done a GLEX lav before. He says yup, no problem and we get to work. The stupidvisor proceeds to dump the lav and pump a few gallons of blue juice into the aircraft. After i'm done fueling, the pilot comes to me and asks if the lav has been done yet. I say yes, dumped and blue juiced. The pilot turns away from me and proceeds to rip my stupidvisor a new one. Apparently Global Express lavs don't take blue juice. Doh! Live and learn.

Not a good thing your sup is unaware of how to service a Lav on a potable water lav system. If you don't know, ask, isn't that one of the most important things in aviation? As for you, sounds like you have 0 respect for your boss. From the way you worded it, you didn't know either, or you would have not told the pilot you even used blue juice

 

[XPLineGuy]

Some Globals have one chemical toilet and one vacuum toilet. Easy mistake to make I suppose.

Not a brand new Global... all vacuum.

 

[knot4u]

Not a brand new Global... all vacuum.

True, but if you can tell the difference between an XRS and a 6000 externally you're better at it than I am.

 

[777_max]

True, but if you can tell the difference between an XRS and a 6000 externally you're better at it than I am.

They both look pretty much identical on the outside to me. I only learned it was brand new after the handling agency email requested we "congratulate the owner on his new aircraft purchase"

 

[bimmerphile]

First week after being signed off for fueling, an MU-2 rolls up and asks for gas. I go out to the truck, drive to the aircraft, bond and pull the hose and ladder out. Climbing up the ladder to fuel the tip tank, I see another line guy run out of the shack towards me and waving his hands. "huh? I guess they may have changed their fuel order" as I slowly pop the cap and have a cloud of Jet-A spewed all over me. Coworker stops running and doubles over laughing as I stand there in a mist on the ladder. "we forgot to tell you about the mitsi"

 

[BigZ]

First week after being signed off for fueling, an MU-2 rolls up and asks for gas. I go out to the truck, drive to the aircraft, bond and pull the hose and ladder out. Climbing up the ladder to fuel the tip tank, I see another line guy run out of the shack towards me and waving his hands. "huh? I guess they may have changed their fuel order" as I slowly pop the cap and have a cloud of Jet-A spewed all over me. Coworker stops running and doubles over laughing as I stand there in a mist on the ladder. "we forgot to tell you about the mitsi"

Hangar neighbor had a MU-2. The day he sold the damn loud thing was a happy day. Up until another neighbor bought a Commander with -10's few weeks later.

 

[z987k]

Hangar neighbor had a MU-2. The day he sold the damn loud thing was a happy day. Up until another neighbor bought a Commander with -10's few weeks later.

Their both quieter than a pt6 in the air where it matters so I don't know what you're talking about with the noise.

 

[BigZ]

When they taxi by PT6 is nowhere near as noisy.

Since you reminded and to keep this on track

A friend is getting checked out in the van. Being the meticulous person that he is preflight is being conducted checklist in hand and all.
Somewhere in there it says "drain fuel" - granted, EPA can is always drained, top off with the oil from the right hand side drain and throw it all into the GPU - done deal.
Well, he felt like draining the wings was the thing to do. Not sure what he was going to find there, but between about 900 lbs a side and an unfortunate twist of the wrist the valve got stuck open. There he is, jumping up and down trying to poke the thing closed. No joy. Climbs onto the wheel and tries to reach from there, falls into the pool of jet A and gets the shower of the same on top.
Anywho, found a step ladder, got it closed, thankfully he showed up early to have the extra time for the paperwork and whatnot. Butt naked runs off to the shower (thankfully we had one), calls his soon to be son in law, tell him that if he's still interested in the position to drop everything and bring him a set of clothes.
Now the kicker is the plane was RON in the Bahamas and the crew was airlining back, some pax was grumping the whole flight that never ever ever again will he fly Silver since them Saabs are horrid things and leak fuel so bad in stinks in the cabin.

The fun times of the old Palmer hangar at MCO.. miss that place

 

[Roger Roger]

When they taxi by PT6 is nowhere near as noisy.

Since you reminded and to keep this on track

A friend is getting checked out in the van. Being the meticulous person that he is preflight is being conducted checklist in hand and all.
Somewhere in there it says "drain fuel" - granted, EPA can is always drained, top off with the oil from the right hand side drain and throw it all into the GPU - done deal.
Well, he felt like draining the wings was the thing to do. Not sure what he was going to find there, but between about 900 lbs a side and an unfortunate twist of the wrist the valve got stuck open. There he is, jumping up and down trying to poke the thing closed. No joy. Climbs onto the wheel and tries to reach from there, falls into the pool of jet A and gets the shower of the same on top.
Anywho, found a step ladder, got it closed, thankfully he showed up early to have the extra time for the paperwork and whatnot. Butt naked runs off to the shower (thankfully we had one), calls his soon to be son in law, tell him that if he's still interested in the position to drop everything and bring him a set of clothes.
Now the kicker is the plane was RON in the Bahamas and the crew was airlining back, some pax was grumping the whole flight that never ever ever again will he fly Silver since them Saabs are horrid things and leak fuel so bad in stinks in the cabin.

The fun times of the old Palmer hangar at MCO.. miss that place

Those piece of crap drain valves have bathed many a pilot and mechanic in Jet A.

 

[trafficinsight]

Those piece of crap drain valves have bathed many a pilot and mechanic in Jet A.

One time I was tasked with replacing the fuel selector in a 182. I was trying to make arrangements to store 80 gallons of fuel somewhere to accomplish it when the boss, against my red flags, talked me into trying to do it without draining the tanks... As in, just be quick about it.


Spent the rest of the day cleaning up the spill, I think we saved about 15 gallons in the tanks.

Every time I ignore my instincts I get bitten, not doing that any more!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

 

[777_max]

First week after being signed off for fueling, an MU-2 rolls up and asks for gas. I go out to the truck, drive to the aircraft, bond and pull the hose and ladder out. Climbing up the ladder to fuel the tip tank, I see another line guy run out of the shack towards me and waving his hands. "huh? I guess they may have changed their fuel order" as I slowly pop the cap and have a cloud of Jet-A spewed all over me. Coworker stops running and doubles over laughing as I stand there in a mist on the ladder. "we forgot to tell you about the mitsi"

Ugh MU-2s... The one plane I hate fueling, even more than beechjets. We've also got a Turbo Commander hangar tenant and that can be quite a handful to fuel too. Thankfully they're not getting any younger and we rarely see them. Now TBMs on the other hand... We've got 5 of them based at my FBO and they're a joy to fuel. Just fill it to the bottom of the ring and you'll get no splashback or mess at all.

 

[Roger Roger]

One time I was tasked with replacing the fuel selector in a 182. I was trying to make arrangements to store 80 gallons of fuel somewhere to accomplish it when the boss, against my red flags, talked me into trying to do it without draining the tanks... As in, just be quick about it.


Spent the rest of the day cleaning up the spill, I think we saved about 15 gallons in the tanks.

Every time I ignore my instincts I get bitten, not doing that any more!

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

A hahahaha I have an almost identical story but instead of a fuel selector on a 182 it was a wing root fuel hose on a 206. On amphib floats.

 

[knot4u]

Had a line guy service the toilet on a G-IV with 13 gallons of blue juice. FBO got to pay for new carpet for the whole cabin and a complete unscheduled below floor inspection/cleaning. Be careful out there.

 

[knot4u]

Ugh MU-2s... The one plane I hate fueling, even more than beechjets. We've also got a Turbo Commander hangar tenant and that can be quite a handful to fuel too. Thankfully they're not getting any younger and we rarely see them. Now TBMs on the other hand... We've got 5 of them based at my FBO and they're a joy to fuel. Just fill it to the bottom of the ring and you'll get no splashback or mess at all.

A long time ago when I had just started working line service I got written up for pushing the pressure relief buttons on the tips of an MU-2, of course they leaked afterwards. This all transpired about 1 1/2 hours after I'd watched the instructional video that explained you need to depressurize the tanks using the buttons before you open the filler. My supervisor wasn't sympathetic due to the red faced blow hard yelling at him.