Nondestructive visual inspection of aging aircraft

Peter Samsonov

doi:10.1117/12.213533

7 July 1995 Nondestructive visual inspection of aging aircraft

Peter Samsonov

Proceedings Volume 2455, Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, Aerospace Hardware, and Materials; (1995) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.213533
Event: Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Infrastructure, 1995, Oakland, CA, United States

Abstract

The in-flight structural failure of an Aloha Airlines 737-200 in April of 1988 brought international attention to the aging aircraft issue and prompted operators to improve inspection and maintenance procedures for their fleets. The use of nondestructive visual inspection equipment such as borescopes, fiberscopes, and videoimagescopes allow maintenance personnel to inspect internal aircraft structure for corrosion and fatigue without costly and time consuming disassembly. Some special purpose scopes have been designed for ultra violet applications using dye penetrant or even grinding and blending of corrosion from a remote location. These devices, coupled with sophisticated digital image processors, provide a permanent visual record of the inspection while allowing for three dimensional defect measurement, trend analysis, image enhancement, and video telephone link-ups. The use of this equipment can enhance and in some cases replace existing maintenance procedures, providing the most reliable and cost effective approach to aging aircraft program implementation. In cooperation with Dr. Richard Shagam of Sandia National Laboratories, sample inspections were accomplished at the Aging Aircraft NDI Validation Center (AANC) in Albuquerque, New Mexico on August 23 - 27, 1993. This paper provides the results of the testing along with detailed descriptions of each inspection procedure. Additional applications for visual inspection in aging fleet programs are seemingly endless and should be thoroughly investigated by program administrators throughout the industry.

Citation Download Citation

Peter Samsonov "Nondestructive visual inspection of aging aircraft", Proc. SPIE 2455, Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, Aerospace Hardware, and Materials, (7 July 1995); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.213533

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