Aerospace Non-Destructive Testing Saves Lives & Equipment

It was a routine inspection using non-destructive testing (NDT), but the results were anything but routine.

Steve Dutt was performing a scheduled NDT evaluation on the main rotor head of a Bell helicopter when he identified a fatigue crack along the flange of one of the components.

Steve, Director of Maintenance for the Aerospace Division of Kova Engineering (an Industrial Inspection & Analysis company based in Canada), immediately alerted the customer and a Service Difficulty Report was sent to Transport Canada and the manufacturer, Bell Textron Canada. As a result of the finding, an Alert Service Bulletin was sent out to every owner/operator of that particular aircraft to immediately have that part inspected on every aircraft of that model.

As a result of this finding, future catastrophic events may have been averted.

A Leader in Aerospace NDT
This is just one example of how IIA and skilled inspectors like Steve Dutt use NDT to provide a critical service that can save lives and equipment.

“Safety is one of the most important requirements in the aviation industry,” says Steve. “Aircraft components are taken apart for overhaul and inspection at regularly scheduled intervals and inspected by licensed technicians to ensure that they are in compliance with applicable airworthiness standards. At that point, they are sent to us for non-destructive testing to search for discontinuities in the parts which could cause failure due to fatigue cracks, processing or inherent defects.”

Kova Engineering tests a wide variety of components for fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft, many of which are utilized in sectors like the military, commercial, private, forestry, firefighting, and oil and gas.

As a Transport Canada approved M2 Licensed AME (Aircraft Maintenance Engineer), Dutt has extensive knowledge in not only the aircraft parts inspected but also how they function and affect the performance of the aircraft.

“For us, it’s more than just pass or fail, says Dutt. “ We have the tools and knowledge to fully evaluate the findings and suggest possible solutions to the customer.”