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November 14, 2010 - In a continuing effort to address aging aircraft issues, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has finalized a rule designed to protect most of today’s commercial planes and those designed in the future from structural damage as they age. The new rule seeks to prevent “widespread fatigue damage” (WFD) by requiring aircraft manufacturers and certification applicants to establish a number of flight cycles or hours a plane can operate and be free from WFD without additional inspections for fatigue.
Manufacturers have between 18 and 60 months to comply
depending on the particular aircraft type. |
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After the
limit is in the maintenance program, operators cannot fly the
aircraft beyond that point unless the FAA approves an extension
of the limit.
“We’ve
addressed the problem of aging aircraft with numerous targeted
regulations and 100 airworthiness directives over the years,”
said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “This rule is a
comprehensive solution to ensure the structural safety of
today’s airliners and the airplanes of tomorrow.” An airplane’s metallic structures are stressed and can develop cracks when they experience repeated loads such as the pressurization and depressurization that happens on every flight. While airlines regularly inspect aircraft for cracks exceeding a certain size, WFD involves aircraft developing numerous tiny cracks, none of which would have raised concerns individually but which together run the risk of joining up and impairing the structural integrity of the plane. |
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