Qantas Jet Flew for Two Days With Work Light Left Inside Its Wing

A Qantas Airbus A380 flew for two days and carried hundreds of passengers with a mechanic’s 13-inch work light accidentally left inside the aircraft’s wing, according to an Australian investigation.

The aircraft underwent air-conditioning maintenance in Sydney on January 7 before flying to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The work light was discovered only after the plane returned to Sydney two days later.

According to the Australian Transportation Safety Board, a maintenance engineer had signed out the battery-operated light along with other tools. During the work, two employees placed the light inside the aircraft’s left wing while replacing an air-conditioning sensor. They turned the light off but forgot to retrieve it.

The light was not found during subsequent inspections designed to ensure foreign objects had been removed from the aircraft. A review of an “unreturned tool report” eventually alerted employees that the light had not been accounted for.

The ATSB said the work light had no impact on the aircraft’s flights, and Qantas voluntarily reported the incident.

Qantas said it has since strengthened its tool-control procedures, including requiring a pre-clearance check to confirm all tools are accounted for following maintenance.

The incident is not the first time a tool has been left aboard a Qantas A380. In 2023, a tool was left inside an A380 engine following maintenance at Los Angeles International Airport. That aircraft completed 34 flights over nearly a month before the tool was discovered.

Aviation investigators have warned that lost tools can cause serious damage. In 2020, a small screwdriver tip caused substantial damage to the engine of a Jetstar Airbus A320 during takeoff. No passengers were injured.

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