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Airworthiness
Back in the box: the importance of tool control for safety
Technology can assist, but not replace, human thoroughness in controlling this foreign object damage hazard
Aircraft maintenance is an unforgiving way to make a living.
As James Reason and Alan Hobbs say in their book, Managing...
Total recall
If not for an experienced engineer’s long and detailed memory, a serious in-flight incident might have remained a mystery
By Robert Wilson
It’s something not meant to happen on modern passenger aircraft – but it did...
Phoney maintenance
by Roger Alder
‘Never, in the history of aviation maintenance, have so many been distracted by so little.’
With apologies to Sir Winston Churchill, who was paying respect to WWII Battle of Britain air aces. The...
The hour cometh
A recent airworthiness directive from the US Federal Aviation Administration highlights the difficult issues surrounding the ageing general aviation aircraft fleet.
Some things just seem eternal: sunrise, sunset and rock ‘n’ roll music for anyone...
Hot and confused
A tangle of misinformation about engine bay flammable fluid flexible hoses needs clearing up
Dangerous ideas are not always outrageous. Sometimes they arise out of simple misunderstandings, turgid language or the unfortunate situation where a...
Rationalising airworthiness
Thomas P. Turner
The pilot of a vintage Cessna 120 taildragger noticed over time that the aeroplane’s battery would not always hold a charge. It wasn’t uncommon that he would prepare the aeroplane for flight...
The cable saga
In the five years since a very near miss put the issue of flight control deterioration into clear focus, sixty-one unserviceable and potentially dangerous cables have been discovered on aircraft, and four cable failures.
It...
Grinding gear
A known and documented problem continues to cause embarrassment and expense for Cessna operators.
It was a memorable sightseeing trip, for the wrong reasons. The aircraft passengers got a ‘near death experience’ anecdote to enliven...
The Duchess and the case of the disappearing bolt
A recurrent issue on a popular training aircraft illustrates the many factors influencing aircraft reliability.
The Beechcraft Model 76 Duchess has introduced a sizeable proportion of Australia commercial pilots to the pleasures and perils of...
Caps tanks and drains: a three-pronged attack
To state the obvious: water in fuel is A. Bad. Thing. Whether avgas or jet A1, fuel and water just don’t mix. And water makes engines stop.
Water in fuel takes two forms, dissolved...
Airworthiness spotlight
Planet gears implicated in Norway helicopter crash
The Norwegian Accident Investigation Board (AIBN) has issued another preliminary report into the helicopter crash...
Bulletins highlight D-ring dangers
Helicopter Winching and Passenger seat belt attachment warning
CASA has published a series of airworthiness...
Directive covers possible instrument failure
Primary flight instruments that could fail without notice or indication are the subject of a...
Check your hose before it blows
When did you last think about your aircraft’s hoses? Have you ever thought about how...
CASA considers changes to propeller inspections
CASA is proposing clearer and simpler criteria for propeller maintenance. A proposed amendment to airworthiness...