What happened
The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.
At approximately 1434 hours (CDT), the fedex chief inspector called to notify this office that fedex had an aircraft maintenance technician involved in a fatal incident. Lubbock FSDO was notified at approximately 1630 (CDT). Lubbock FSDO sent representatives to the scene to gather information. The event occurred at Lubbock, TX and involved aircraft N808FD, an Airbus A-310-324 operated by fedex. The machanic has no enforcement history.
The event occurred between 1017 and 1027 (CDT) on October 17,2017. Video shows that the mechanic was working alone on an inbound discrepancy related to a nose landing gear indication fault. It was confirmed that power (electrical and hydraulics) was on during the incident and that he was working alone. On-coming shift personnel, who could not contact him via radio, discovered him standing on a maintenance stand pinned between the right hand door and the drag brace assembly. He was then removed and lowered to the ground by carrier station personnel. On scene EMT personnel confirmed this information and pronounced Mr. Merton deceased at the scene. Multiple requests for the autopsy report were submitted to the Lubbock county medical examiner and have not been received at this time. Toxicology samples were taken by the Lubbock medical examiner and sent to cami and the final toxicology report has been received from cami. The amt training records showed that the mechanic was trained and qualified for the task he was performing. He was working a normal shift with adequate days and hours off for the preceding 30-DAY period.
Lubbock FSDO personnel have determined that a single nose landing gear door actuator safety lock, part # C47281, is available on station. Interviews with fedex personnel confirm that neither the right hand nor the left hand nose landing gear doors had actuator locks installed at the time of the incident. The left nose gear door ground opening control handle was discovered in the open position. For this reason the door stayed open while hydraulics was on. The right nose gear door ground opening control handle was in the closed position. Aircraft maintenance manual standard practices concerning the nose landing gear has a warning message that states, ?when doors are open, make certain that safety collars are positioned on door actuating cylinders.?
As the FAA filed it
AT APPROXIMATELY 1434 HOURS (CDT), THE FEDEX CHIEF INSPECTOR CALLED TO NOTIFY THIS OFFICE THAT FEDEX HAD AN AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNICIAN INVOLVED IN A FATAL INCIDENT. LUBBOCK FSDO WAS NOTIFIED AT APPROXIMATELY 1630 (CDT). LUBBOCK FSDO SENT REPRESENTATIVES TO THE SCENE TO GATHER INFORMATION. THE EVENT OCCURRED AT LUBBOCK, TX AND INVOLVED AIRCRAFT N808FD, AN AIRBUS A-310-324 OPERATED BY FEDEX. THE MACHANIC HAS NO ENFORCEMENT HISTORY.
THE EVENT OCCURRED BETWEEN 1017 AND 1027 (CDT) ON OCTOBER 17,2017. VIDEO SHOWS THAT THE MECHANIC WAS WORKING ALONE ON AN INBOUND DISCREPANCY RELATED TO A NOSE LANDING GEAR INDICATION FAULT. IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT POWER (ELECTRICAL AND HYDRAULICS) WAS ON DURING THE INCIDENT AND THAT HE WAS WORKING ALONE. ON-COMING SHIFT PERSONNEL, WHO COULD NOT CONTACT HIM VIA RADIO, DISCOVERED HIM STANDING ON A MAINTENANCE STAND PINNED BETWEEN THE RIGHT HAND DOOR AND THE DRAG BRACE ASSEMBLY. HE WAS THEN REMOVED AND LOWERED TO THE GROUND BY CARRIER STATION PERSONNEL. ON SCENE EMT PERSONNEL CONFIRMED THIS INFORMATION AND PRONOUNCED MR. MERTON DECEASED AT THE SCENE. MULTIPLE REQUESTS FOR THE AUTOPSY REPORT WERE SUBMITTED TO THE LUBBOCK COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER AND HAVE NOT BEEN RECEIVED AT THIS TIME. TOXICOLOGY SAMPLES WERE TAKEN BY THE LUBBOCK MEDICAL EXAMINER AND SENT TO CAMI AND THE FINAL TOXICOLOGY REPORT HAS BEEN RECEIVED FROM CAMI. THE AMT TRAINING RECORDS SHOWED THAT THE MECHANIC WAS TRAINED AND QUALIFIED FOR THE TASK HE WAS PERFORMING. HE WAS WORKING A NORMAL SHIFT WITH ADEQUATE DAYS AND HOURS OFF FOR THE PRECEDING 30-DAY PERIOD.
LUBBOCK FSDO PERSONNEL HAVE DETERMINED THAT A SINGLE NOSE LANDING GEAR DOOR ACTUATOR SAFETY LOCK, PART # C47281, IS AVAILABLE ON STATION. INTERVIEWS WITH FEDEX PERSONNEL CONFIRM THAT NEITHER THE RIGHT HAND NOR THE LEFT HAND NOSE LANDING GEAR DOORS HAD ACTUATOR LOCKS INSTALLED AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. THE LEFT NOSE GEAR DOOR GROUND OPENING CONTROL HANDLE WAS DISCOVERED IN THE OPEN POSITION. FOR THIS REASON THE DOOR STAYED OPEN WHILE HYDRAULICS WAS ON. THE RIGHT NOSE GEAR DOOR GROUND OPENING CONTROL HANDLE WAS IN THE CLOSED POSITION. AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE MANUAL STANDARD PRACTICES CONCERNING THE NOSE LANDING GEAR HAS A WARNING MESSAGE THAT STATES, ?WHEN DOORS ARE OPEN, MAKE CERTAIN THAT SAFETY COLLARS ARE POSITIONED ON DOOR ACTUATING CYLINDERS.?