Crab.....the Sikorsky folks did not "fool" anyone.....the System fooled everyone including those administering the system.
If you recall my previous posts about what it is going to take to make things genuinely better....it will require a dropping of shields by everyone involved in the "system"....and a clean sheet review of processes, concepts, standards, and procedures.
Plainly, like every Chain....there are weak links.
Identifying the factors that lead to these weak links is the first step.
Let's look back over the Years....and all the changes that have been made that were seen to be "cures" but in time were found not to have done what they were supposed to do.
We have HUMS, Oil Analysis, Chip Plugs and all sorts of other ways of monitoring MGB's (for example) and despite a Fatal Accident involving the loss of a Rotor Head....and efforts to remedy the problems found by the investigation of that Crash....we now have another one where it is seen that we still do not have it right yet.
Engineers, with good intentions, saw the 92 Oil Filter Assembly to be fine...as did the FAA and other Authorities but we found despite all the folks involved in the process....there were real issues.
We see the same thing with the EC MGB....lots of very good and diligent folks sought and found a problem and did what they thought would end that situation.
Sadly, we are Humans....and therefore are prone to make mistakes.
Who, where, when, why, what, and how those mistakes are made is the issue we need to consider.
Sikorsky made a mistake thinking there would always be oil in the 92 Gearbox.
EC thought revamping the method by which their Gearbox is monitored would be the fix.
The authorities affirmed the two companies thinking.
Operators did as well.
So the question is.....how do we make the system truly effective?