Identification and Assessment of Damage to Composite Aircraft Structures Training Document AIR6825

DOI: https://doi.org/10.4271/AIR6825

Issuing Committee: AMS CACRC Commercial Aircraft Composite Repair Committee

Publisher: SAE International

Pages: 14

Rationale: With the increased use of composites in the construction of primary structure in commercial aircraft particularly of structure exposed to accidental damage during operation, there is a growing concern that damage may be improperly identified, inadequately assessed, or not reported. A risk exists due to: 1 Many of the individuals working around composite aircraft may have little or no specific training or familiarity with composites and their differences from metals. This creates an opportunity for a common human factor “Lack of Knowledge” to affect their decisions and actions when reporting or investigating an aircraft damage event. 2 Experience with previous aircraft may lead to human factors “Complacency” and “Norms” which may prevent individuals from taking the actions necessary to properly address composite structure. 3 Individuals lacking proper training may not have the assertiveness to assess and report damage while operating under the stress, pressure, and fatigue common in the airline industry. 4 Incomplete reporting of composite damage leads to more iterations and time in damage assessment process. All personnel working in the vicinity of a composite aircraft must be made aware of the importance of reporting all potential damage events to composite structure. Once the event is reported, it is the responsibility of the targeted audience to begin the assessment process, which will be covered in this curriculum. The use of composites in commercial aircraft requires proper training for identification, assessment, and reporting of accidental damage during operations. The damage assessment process on composite structure may require the use of special inspection tools defined as NDI equipment specified by the appropriate technical manual intended for use by non-NDT personnel. Training to operate these tools, the understanding of the composite structure configuration (e.g., surface, substructure, taper regions), and routine exposure to usage of the tools are key factors for effective damage assessment. The targeted audience includes line maintenance technicians, inspectors, certifying staff that can release the aircraft, and personnel evaluating the damage against Allowable Damage Limits (ADLs).