A B767-400 WAS RELEASED FOR SVC WITH THE R NOSEWHEEL SPACER NOT INSTALLED. WHEEL AND TIRE REPLACED BUT THE AXLE SPACER WAS NOT INSTALLED.

Narrative

ON THE NIGHT OF APR/XA/06 AT APPROX XA00 HRS; I JACKED ACFT TO CHANGE THE WORN R NOSE TIRE ALONG WITH ANOTHER AMT. WE TOOK THE AXLE NUT OFF; THEN THE WHEEL ASSEMBLY. INSTALLED THE NEW WHEEL ASSEMBLY AND REINSTALLED THE NUT AND APPLIED THE PROPER TORQUE. NEXT DOWN-JACKED THE B767-400 ACFT (NOT AWARE THAT THERE WAS NO SPACER PLACED ON THE AXLE BEFORE REINSTALLING THE AXLE NUT). WE DEFLATED THE WORN TIRE; REMOVED THE JACK AND CLEANED UP OUR TOOLS FROM THE AREA. NOT NOTICING ANY PARTS LYING ON THE POORLY LIT GND (XA00 HRS); I PROCEEDED TO MAKE A LOGBOOK ENTRY ON THE ITEM; AND LATER ACR X WAS RELEASED FOR SVC. ACFT FLEW TO ZZZ2 THE NEXT DAY; AND BEFORE LEAVING ZZZ2; A PLT; DOING HIS WALK-AROUND DURING THE DAY; NOTICED THE R NOSE TIRE NUT LOOKED DIFFERENT AND CALLED FOR MAINT TO CHK IT. MAINT SPOTTED THE SPACER MISSING; BUT DID NOT HAVE ONE IN STOCK; THUS CALL ZZZ FOR AN ENGINEERING REQUEST AUTH TO FLY IT BACK TO ZZZ; WHERE IT WAS PROPERLY FIXED. ANOTHER LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND ACR X WAS RELEASED FOR SVC AGAIN. WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED IT WAS NIGHTTIME AND THE AREA WAS POORLY LIT. EXTRA LIGHTING COULD HELP THESE SITUATIONS ALONG WITH HAVING THE PROPER MAINT MANUALS AND ILLUSTRATED PARTS DIAGRAM BESIDE YOU AT YOUR WORK AREA.