Vent: I tried using safety wire pliers as a makeshift cotter pin puller and the pin launched into a hangar ceiling

Phoenix Hall · 2026-10-27T17:40:03.617857+00:00

Was doing a wheel change on a Cessna 172 at our hangar in Mesa and the cotter pin was stuck bad. Grabbed the safety wire pliers thinking I could twist and yank it, but the pin snapped and shot straight up like a bottle rocket. Took me and two guys a good 40 minutes with a ladder and a flashlight to find it wedged in a rafter. Lesson learned: just use the right punch and a little penetrating oil instead of getting creative. Has anyone else launched a part into orbit like this and had to go hunting for it?

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Vent: I tried using safety wire pliers as a makeshift cotter pin puller and the pin launched into a hangar ceiling | Aircraft Mechanics - Babble Community