ATSB finds Qantas A380 flew two flights with maintenance light left in wing

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has released a final report on an incident in which a Qantas Airbus A380 flew with a maintenance work light left inside its left wing.

The light was left behind after work on the aircraft's air conditioning system at Sydney Airport on January 7, 2026, according to the report. The aircraft, registered VH-OQK, then flew to Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and back before the light was found and removed on January 9. No damage or injuries were reported.

Investigators said three separate checks meant to catch stray tools or equipment all failed to detect the missing light. ATSB Chief Commissioner Angus Mitchell said maintenance staff did not identify the item during foreign object clearance inspections carried out at the end of the work, nor when tools were returned, nor during a later unreturned tool check at the end of the shift. A certificate of release to service was issued while the light was still unaccounted for.

The ATSB put the occurrence down to a breakdown in foreign object control and tool accountability procedures.

It is the second such finding involving Qantas A380 maintenance in recent years. An earlier ATSB report, published in November 2024, described a separate incident in which a compressor turning tool was left inside an engine of another Qantas A380, registered VH-OQI, after maintenance at Los Angeles International Airport in December 2023. That aircraft reportedly operated for 294 hours across 34 flights before the tool was located.