A Qantas Airbus A380 carried passengers between Sydney and Dallas with a battery-powered mechanic’s work light accidentally left inside its left wing, according to a report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).
The 13-inch light was left inside an access panel on January 7 after maintenance work on the aircraft’s air-conditioning system at Sydney Airport. Two workers had placed it inside the wing to illuminate a difficult-to-reach area while replacing a sensor. After finishing the work, they switched the light off and closed the panel without removing it.
The mistake went unnoticed despite three separate safety checks, including foreign object clearance, tool return and an end-of-shift unreturned-tool check. The aircraft was then cleared for service and flew from Sydney to Dallas and back, covering around 17,000 miles over two days.
The light was eventually discovered when an employee reviewing an outstanding equipment report noticed that it had not been returned. It caused no damage, but the ATSB warned that loose objects inside aircraft can move during flight and create serious safety risks.
Qantas has since strengthened its tool-control procedures after voluntarily reporting the incident.
