Guide for Aircraft Visual Inspections
Visual inspections are essential in aviation maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), playing a crucial role in assessing the condition of aircraft and their components. These inspections constitute a significant majority of checks performed on large transport planes. They range from routine walk-arounds to detailed examinations, ensuring the aircraft remains airworthy.
When an aircraft is grounded, it's time for meticulous inspection. As a critical safety measure, a general visual inspection (GVI) must be thorough and proficient in identifying defects, manufacturing errors, or component fatigue. MRO organizations conduct these inspections whenever aircraft enter or exit hangars, meticulously checking for damage, failures, or anomalies like cracks, corrosion, or delamination. This process involves consulting various sources like aircraft logs, checklists, and manufacturers' manuals and directives to guide engineers effectively.
As defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), aircraft visual inspections use direct observation or aids to evaluate component conditions. These inspections vary in complexity and effectiveness, with GVIs being a primary category. Their objective is to provide a comprehensive assessment of structures, components, or systems and enable early detection of potential issues before they escalate. GVIs often require specialized equipment such as ladders or cherry pickers to ensure thorough examination, particularly in hard-to-reach areas like the top of the fuselage.
The reliability of general visual inspections can be influenced by factors such as visual clarity, lighting conditions, and time constraints, which may compromise their accuracy and efficiency. Issues like fatigue, inadequate lighting, or time pressure can hinder proper inspections, leading to unreliable outcomes and potential risks of gradual aircraft deterioration. These risks are greatly reduced with the use of proper inspection equipment, like video borescopes. A borescope is an instrument used to inspect inside structures through a small hole. Great borescope models even have built-in measuring, so technicians can accurately measure defects in real-time. Learn more about the different models of borescopes we recommend for aircraft maintenance.
There have been many notable incidents of aircraft parts malfunctioning or flying off planes in recent news. These highlight the consequences of inadequate inspections and emphasize the importance of thorough and precise examination practices. Innovations like Waygate Technologies’ video borescopes aim to address these challenges by offering faster, safer, and more accurate inspections compared to traditional methods.
