B737-300 AFTER COMPLETION OF A 'C' CHK WAS DISPATCHED WITH A BOX OF SHOP TOWELS LEFT UNDER THE '0' SPOILER.

Narrative

WORKING AS A BUMP UP LEAD; I SIGNED OFF A NON ROUTINE CARD READING 'L WING SPOILERS DIRTY.' HAVING LOOKED AT THE SPOILERS; I HAD CONCLUDED THAT THE JOB HAD BEEN DONE. A SHORT TIME LATER THE INSPECTOR THAT HAD ORIGINATED THE NON ROUTINE CARD INFORMED ME THAT THE SPOILERS HAD NOT BEEN CLEANED. I ASSURED HIM THAT I WOULD SEE TO IT THAT THEY WERE CLEANED. AT THAT TIME THE ACFT WAS ON JACKS. AFTER SOME TIME PASSED; I SUPERVISED THE LOWERING THE ACFT AND OVERSAW THE REMAINING OPEN ITEMS INCLUDING CLEANING THE SPOILER IN QUESTION. I USED A 4 FT LADDER AND BROUGHT 2 OR 3 SHOP TOWELS UP WITH ME TO CLEAN THE #1 SPOILER IN QUESTION. AFTER A COUPLE OF QUICK WIPES; I CAME DOWN AND SHOWED THE NEW INSPECTOR ON DUTY THE CLEANED SPOILER. I THEN CONTINUED ON WITH THE BUSINESS OF PREPARING THE ACFT FOR ITS LEAK CHKS; A PROB WITH #2 THRUST REVERSER AND A VIBRATION SURVEY FOLLOWED BY POST DOCK. WE WERE PUSHING TO MAKE AN XE00 DEP HAVING MISSED OUR EARLIER SCHEDULED XD00. I DEEPLY REGRET NOT SEEING THE BOX OF TOWELS LEFT ON THE FLAP SHELF. IT WAS LOCATED JUST OUTBOARD OF WHERE I CLEANED THE SPOILER. I AM GRATEFUL THAT MY PERSONAL REMINDER OF WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING REQUIRES MY FULL ATTN AT ALL TIMES DID NOT COME AT THE COST OF INJURY OR ACFT DAMAGE. AS A RESULT; HAS COME A NEW POST DOCK PROC FROM OUR QUALITY CTL AND PRODUCTION. BEFORE RELEASING AN ACFT FROM 'C' CHK; WE WILL LOWER THE FLAPS AND RAISE THE SPOILERS FOR INSPECTION. THIS TAKES US A STEP BEYOND A POST DOCK INSPECTION REQUIREMENTS AND WILL HOPEFULLY PUT AN END TO THIS TYPE OF PROB.