Originally Posted by
Harry Wayfarers
Providing that the appropriate engine hoists are in place, remember the worldwide DC10 grounding follpwing a seriously fatal accident because operators had been changing engines with fork lifts.
The problem with the AA DC10 wasn't that its engines had been changed with a forklift, it was that instead of disconnecting the engine from the pylon to remove it from the wing, the mechanics (or AA maintenance manuals) thought it easier to remove the pylon from the wing and lower both it and the engine together to the ground. Another complicating factor was that this operation spanned two work shifts and while the engine/pylon piece was being supported by the forklift overnight, the lift lost some hydraulic pressure and left more stress on the partial attachment of the pylon to the wing than was acceptable.