Posted on 01/22/2024 6:17:30 PM PST by Red Badger
Got on an airliner and noticed a crack but it had a stop hole drilled in it. It was within limits but if the crack went past the hole I would have mentioned it. Was right over the door and I don’t see how most passengers missed it. These days many would have made a big issue out of it.
You would think a wing skin fastener would be be torqued in with blue thread lock or something.
Forgot to add that if I did mention it, reporting it could have caused us a several hour delay just to get a mechanic to come out ad declare the crack and stop drill within limits. Was in such a prominent place that it was textbook example and teachable moment of what a stop drill was supposed to be.
Can’t use anything on aircraft fasteners as it would give an unreliable torque value.
I guess I have heard that.
Been a few years since I owned or played with airplanes.
On the Cessna aircraft I had, screws were used on inspection panels. The skin was riveted to airframe .
My PA-22 was fabric covered so no fasteners.
Perhaps William Shatner was aboard the prior flight.
Watching the video it appears that the screws wouldn’t tighten, stripped threads I’d imagine.
https://www.pprune.org/tech-log/57222-boeing-737-400-engine-panel-screws-missing.html
I am a frequent passenger on a local airline's B737-400s. On the top surface of the engine fairing there is a four sided panel, the rear edge of which is in line with the rear of the slats. Looking out of the cabin window I often notice a number of missing screws around the edge of the panel.
Can anyone tell me how many of these screws are permitted to be absent? Should I be considering getting off when a row of six are not present?
The nuts are fixed, anchored, including a kind of nut plate - and the part may be broken, such that the nut spins . . . and thus screwing in the required flathead machine screws, is difficult.
Nut plates:
https://www.aircraftfast.com/aircraft_nut_plates.htm
Rule of thumb is torque 'em till they smoke, then back off a 1/4-turn.
You are assuming the writer actually knows the difference.
You are giving them waaaaay too much credit..............😁
“How, exactly, does the author KNOW for CERTAIN that the engineer is doing it properly?”
I thought you were asking a practical question about how a mechanic would know he is installing a fastener to factory specifications. Your question is more philosophical. The answer is that no one knows FOR CERTAIN that anyone in the airline industry or ANY industry is doing their job correctly on any given day. We have to trust in the competence and conscientiousness of the workers in the business to keep it operating safely. That’s tough to do in these days of lowering standards and D.I.E. policies. You have to assess the amount of risk you are willing to take to fly, drive or anything else. The alternative is to stay home and crawl under your bed. It’s not perfectly safe out here.
No excuse - someone needs to be fired because that’s supposed to be checked....
ISWYDT!.......................
the bolts fell out
cuz the nuts were busy doing a commercial
They are be torqued like a flared hyd fittings. 1-3 flats past sharp tq rise. So most likely 1\4 turn past sharp torque rise.
That person has an eagle eye.
Never fly without a shoestring and a prayer.
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