Risk Management Magazine

We all know the dangers of snakes — especially those of us who live in the South, where the weather is hospitable nearly year round for the slithering serpent. If you see a snake, usually you won’t have any issues if you just leave it alone. That was not the case in my situation.

While conducting daily maintenance on an AH-64D, a crew chief discovered a 2-inch hole in the No. 5 driveshaft cover (tail rotor driveshaft). Upon opening the cover, he found a 30 mm round lodged underneath the driveshaft. He notified production control, his commander and the safety officer, and an investigation started immediately.