Visual inspection reliability of transport aircraft

Floyd W. Spencer

doi:10.1117/12.259089

14 November 1996 Visual inspection reliability of transport aircraft

Floyd W. Spencer

Proceedings Volume 2945, Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, and Aerospace Hardware; (1996) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259089
Event: Nondestructive Evaluation Techniques for Aging Infrastructure and Manufacturing, 1996, Scottsdale, AZ, United States

Abstract

The Federal Aviation Administration Technical Center has sponsored a visual inspection reliability program at its airworthiness assurance nondestructive inspection validation center (AANC). We report on the results of the benchmark phase of that program in which 12 inspectors were observed in two days of inspections on a Boeing 737 aircraft. All of the inspectors were currently employed with major airlines and all had experience inspecting the Boeing 737 aircraft. Each inspector spent 2 days at the AANC facility where they inspected to the same ten job cards. Each inspector was videotaped and all nonroutine repair actions were recorded for each inspector. Background information on each of the inspectors, including vision test results, was also gathered. The inspection results were correlated with the background variables. Aviation experience and a test time reflecting visual acuity were significantly correlated with performance factors. An analysis of the video tapes was performed to separate decision errors from search errors. Probability of detection curves were fit to the results of inspecting for cracks from beneath rivet heads in a task using prepared samples with known cracks.

Citation Download Citation

Floyd W. Spencer "Visual inspection reliability of transport aircraft", Proc. SPIE 2945, Nondestructive Evaluation of Aging Aircraft, Airports, and Aerospace Hardware, (14 November 1996); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.259089

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