Originally Posted by
Pilot DAR
.... but the initial defect must still be reported for statistical reasons.
All agreed
Pilot DAR tho I read it as "nil returns" also required in cases where the aircraft was found to be OK when inspected to give a statistical feel for the issue/ensure all relevant A/C have been checked.
In such areas, usually you are talking of limited scratches/nicks being blended out from my memory. Usually a crack was a "here we go" moment and leads to a world of pain and grief as you suggest (replacement and all that entails). However, I have come across main lift frames in the RW world having repairs but my memory is such that I can't remember how the original frames were produced - they were fairly robust tho! Do recall a good cue to inspect the frame "out of phase" was when the aircrew started saying how smoothly the aircraft was now flying all of a sudden!
A whole new meaning of "stress relief"!!!!
I just got the feeling, given no repair details have been quoted yet (that we know of), that Boeing/the FAA are still getting to grips with exactly what they have on their plates here - as will the poor operators! As
pettinger93 and
SLF3 observe, a permenant solution would require a redesign - unless you just "life" the forging and accept an ongoing cost in the interim/future. Whatever it is, sounds like it's not going to be fun.
