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Post by Col7777 on Mar 23, 2009 7:56:21 GMT -5
I watched a program last night on TV, 'Air Crash Investigation' this weeks program was about a Conviar 580 that suddenly dropped out of the sky, during the program they found faulty parts when they recovered the aircraft.
I was surprised that the tail is held on with only 4 bolts, 3 of these were sub-standard and/or not the real parts, they said in the program that there were a number of companies selling bogus/fake parts at very low prices.
The FAA has clamped down on it and any airline caught buying or using these parts could be fined very heavily, but it is still going on.
They didn't get any information from the Flight Recorder either as that didn't work, they found the cause of the crash was because the aircraft had to fly with the APU turned on so to get power to some parts, but it was only held in place by one bolt the others had sheared and had been like that for some time, that last bolt broke and the APU smashed through the tail.
The aircraft was a Partnair Convair 580 converted to a Turbo Prop, all on board were killed.
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Post by Tom/CalClassic on Mar 23, 2009 10:01:58 GMT -5
Bogus parts are a real danger, and may never be completely stopped. I think things are getting better, though.
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Post by jesse on Mar 23, 2009 11:19:55 GMT -5
Long before I retired from USAF, it was a pollicy that our Maintenace Chief saw to it that every single nut and bolt was Rockwell tested for hardness and stress. Nothing went on our birds without this test. Also, all bolts were fixed with Castelated nuts and safety wired. With so many knock off units appearing in various aircraft repair shops, it is a very time consuming task to insure that no fakes are used.
Jesse
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Post by Maarten on Mar 23, 2009 13:02:08 GMT -5
Hi there, On the following site you'll find some more information about the crash of that particular Convair 580 (Partnair's LN-PAA). aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19890908-0I remember the sad news of that crash very well. Didn't realise that it's about 20 years ago that this 580 went down into the Skagerrak. Cheers, Maarten |
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Post by Col7777 on Mar 23, 2009 13:52:35 GMT -5
Ooops, was it a 580? I modified my above post.
They also shown that some of these parts companies have the labels already printed out and they fasten them to the bogus parts to make them look authentic, one guy even signed them with a false signature.
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Post by qxtoolman on Mar 24, 2009 1:38:27 GMT -5
Since I work in MTX Stores, I can tell you that the pressure of making sure parts are up to spec is intense. We have a group of people that work in receiving inspection making sure that parts are up to spec. Every nut, bolt, washer, cotter pin, rivet, etc, now has a level of back traceability that was unheard of as little as 5 years ago. Every part is assigned what is called GRB number. ( Goods Received Batch) That number takes anybody back to the original PO, Shipping Ticket, and then brings to where you can bring up a scanned image of the Certs for that part. We have the same procedure for all the tools too, as only basic hand tools are allowed in AP's tool boxes. Any tool that is required to set a part to a prescribed setting, ie: torque setting, crimp spec, or electrical value is controlled by us, and is maintained & calibrated on a FAA prescribed schedule. That's what I do in the tool room.
The newest a biggest thing in aircraft parts is: Storage Codes. Now a vast majority of parts must be stored in a prescribed manner, that is based on temp, humidity, and even amount of light it is exposed to. Also the is now a very strict part life expiration time. In many areas of our warehouse we have sensor to monitor these parameters, and if the temp, humidity, exceeds a pre-set limit, then alarm sounds, on the expeditor's computer, and there is small amount of time to correct the situation or other wise the parts will have to be reinspected. Now too there are strict rules covering how the parts are packaged, and that includes capped lines, anti static bags, & UV protective packaging. Also every part that comes back unused is scrutinized to the smallest detail before being returned to stock. Plus any type of sealant, chemical, etc, can not be returned if open, or has been out of our control for more than 12 hours.
I hope that you found this educational.
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Post by jesse on Mar 24, 2009 8:40:43 GMT -5
Quality Assurance...can't beat that. After my flying days were over, my job in Maintenance was to oversee the 'Time Change' items. I had an old IBM 360 computer that contained the data on everyone of our aircraft; Fighter, Bombers, Cargo and Utility. Each aircraft was monitored by the Time Change items it used and when that time expired, the ship was pulled out of service until the new unit was installed. If a part was due for change while the aircraft was in flight, it was allowed to complete the mission and then was grounded. We didn't take any chances.
Jesse
Jesse
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Post by sunny9850 on Mar 30, 2009 16:18:37 GMT -5
Unfortunately that is one area where the E-bay's of the WWW have been somewhat detrimental.
Where before buying parts usually involved a licensed vendor of some sort or at least a trip to a aviation swap meet that kept many people from buying "fakes" because they were either to lazy or too unsure of the source.
Now suddenly with the online auction sites that seems to have gone away a bit and according to my A&P he has seen quite a lot more airplanes that have parts that only look original. From Wingtips to seat rails.
I guess buyer be ware is still true today.
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