To: chrisN
in design and specification stages? (I.e., more FMEA - Failure Mode Effect and Analysis - with a bit wider brief that just the mechanical functioning of parts or systems.)
The requirements for the Failure Mode Effects and Criticality Analyses (FMECA) set down in the product assurance section of the A-310 specification required the vendors to examine their respective elements down to the smallest element within the component including screws and lock wire. This was done to get Canadian certification.
Not all of the vendors complied with this requirement and one major supplier of a critical unit in the flap slat system didn’t even bother to perform an FMECA because it was too time consuming and it cost too much. This unit failed on the first revenue flight of the A-310. This same manufacturer did not properly support the manufacturer and supplier of the flap drive system and as such the flaps were certified on the basis of inadequate testing. BAe was fully aware of all of this but did nothing.
So much for ‘Pilots trust your equipment”.
