While Delta provided few details about the explosion, which is under investigation, here is what we know. Mechanics removed the tire from a Boeing 757 and transferred the wheel and tire assembly to the wheel and brake shop. I walked past that shop hundreds of times during my stint at TechOps, and to think about a tragedy of this magnitude is quite surreal.

• READ MORE: Two Killed in Delta Aircraft Tire Explosion

“It is a little bit alarming because this stuff doesn’t happen every day or every week or even every month,” Kyle Bailey, a former FAA safety expert and aviation analyst, told Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA-TV. “These things explode, these things malfunction, people make mistakes. But sadly, in this case, two people were killed.”

I can attest that I have been an A&P mechanic for over 30 years, and 99 percent of things go off without a hitch. Unfortunately, when things go wrong in aircraft maintenance, they go terribly wrong.

Keep Your Head on a Swivel

In navigating the dangers of aircraft maintenance, it’s critical to maintain situational awareness, or “keep your head on a swivel,” according to the National Aviation Academy.

When my father worked for United Beechcraft at Fulton County Executive Airport/Charlie Brown Field (KFTY) in the early 1990s, a mechanic called for help holding a breaker bar so he could break down a King Air wheel and tire assembly. Having neglected to deflate the tire, it exploded, resulting in the death of a helper. 

Deflation is a vital step in changing a tire, according to a tip sheet compiled by industry professionals and circulated by the FAA. 

“Remove the air from the tire,” it says. “Warning: The tire will be deflated even though the size will not change. Deflate first to avoid any hazards. This is to be accomplished before the wheel is removed from the aircraft.

California Department of Public Health’s Occupational Health Branch case report 19CA002 offers some insight into what happens if technicians attempt maintenance on an inflated aircraft tire:

A stationary engineer working at an airport died when the tire and wheel he was disassembling exploded. The employees on the previous shift removed the tire and wheel from an airport passenger boarding bridge and placed it in the airport maintenance shop. The victim and a co-worker were removing the nuts and bolts that held the wheel together when the tire and wheel assembly exploded, striking the victim in the head and neck. The valve stem was not removed from the tube within the tire to release the air pressure.

The CA/FACE investigator determined that to prevent similar future incidents, employers with workers who change multi-piece tires should:

●      Implement policies and procedures as part of a safety program to ensure that tires are deflated before wheel disassembly.

●      Remove all pneumatic tires and replace them with solid rubber tires.

●      Consider providing employees with certified commercial tire service (CTS) training or hiring companies with CTS technicians.

The FAA-H-8083-31B Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook—Airframe offers this caution: “Deflate the tire before starting the procedure of removing the wheel assembly from the aircraft. Wheel assemblies have been known to explode while removing the axle nut, especially when dealing with high-pressure, high-performance tires.”

Shop Safety Considerations

The No. 1 reason accidents happen is the failure to follow procedures, according to John Goglia, an airline mechanic and former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) member.

“The best way to prepare an aircraft maintenance team is through structured training,” Goglia said. “On-the-job training is one thing, but what if the guys in the shop have been doing it wrong for years? For example, aircraft tires are a lot easier to roll when inflated, even though they are supposed to be deflated when removed from the aircraft.

“Another thing to consider is that in some instances, mechanics work outside their skill, perhaps on loan from another department due to a surge in workload. Those are particularly at risk.”

In my maintenance days, the entire facility went on lockdown for training if we suffered an incident. We called it a safety stand-down, and nothing happened until we completed the task. 

Human factors, such as stress or complacency, directly contribute to many aviation accidents, the FAA said in its Aviation Maintenance Technician Handbook.

Admittedly, we do not precisely know what happened last week at the Delta TechOp shop. AMTs share a common bond and generally look out for each other.

Accidents happen, and sometimes with tragic consequences. We are duty-bound to understand what went wrong so we can correct it for future generations.

The post Deadly Tire Explosion at Delta Facility Highlights Risks in Aviation Maintenance appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

When this occurs, owners are hit with a double whammy: They cannot fly their airplanes, and the work will cost them money. Now, some might come away from the down time with a shiny new Garmin gadget or a candy pearl, glossy paint job. And those lucky enough to accomplish engine maintenance may feel a little bump in the throttle, but it is a small consolation prize.

Prepping for Aircraft Maintenance

How do you plan for maintenance?

Last year we followed a local owner-operator as he maintained his 1966 Cessna 172 Skyhawk, detailing how cost, time, and scope factored into his maintenance planning.

Under the scope, consider the point complexity. If someone is putting their plane down for an extended period of time, wouldn’t it make sense to maximize the maintenance and knock out multiple upgrades at one time? For example, if the engine is going out for overhaul, should one also do the propeller? 

Downtime is downtime. Why not combine evolutions? Cost factors into that, but with mandated limits set forth by the original equipment manufacturer (OEMs), it could make sense to just comply now rather than later. Time remains constant, and scope and cost increase, but that saves time later down the line.

There is a common misconception that negotiating an aircraft maintenance evolution is like an episode of Pawn Stars. It is not, or it is not supposed to be. 

Initial Quote

Years ago, I won a sudden-stoppage inspection bid because I was more than $3,000 higher than every other bidder.

When I took the call and gathered the information, I inquired about the serial number of the engine. When the caller recited the number, I learned it ended with an “E,” indicating roller tappet bodies, which are mandatory for Lycoming after a prop strike. I was the only one who mentioned that and, therefore, kept the customer from an expensive surprise during the inspection.

JD Kuti of Pinnacle Aircraft Engines takes a similar approach when quoting engine overhauls.

“We front load the quote as much as possible,” Kuti said. “I do not like to ask the customer for more money during a build, so we lay out the worst-case scenario during the initial discussion.”

According to Kuti, some key points include:

• A new camshaft and tappet bodies on every engine overhaul.
• Full OEM factory new to start. Once the engine is in house the team will explore parts manufacturer approval (PMA), designated engineering representative (DER), and used serviceable material (USM) options, and pass those savings along to the client.
• Supply chain constraints. Right now, manufacturing is struggling to keep up with surging demand. Have you seen the lead time for the factory-new cylinders?

A tougher conversation on the front end makes for smoother sailing later.

Closing the Deal

Once the parts arrive at the MRO, the fun is just beginning. It is inspection time.

To Kevin Allen of Aircraft Accessories International (AAI), this is the best part of repair quoting.

“At AAI we like to be upfront and transparent with the customer,” Allen said. “I will break down the different practices and try my best to educate the customer.”

According to AAI, the process of quoting landing gear overhaul work falls into one of two categories, standard work and above and beyond.

Standard Rate

For landing gear, AAI quotes standard rate inspection that includes all the necessary labor and parts to disassemble, clean, inspect, reassemble, and test.

Once the landing gear is inspected, there may be items that are considered “above and beyond” standard overhaul.

‘Above and Beyond’

Items that may be considered “above and beyond” standard overhaul include:

• Corroded parts such as piston tubes and trunnions;

• Bent, broken, or missing parts; 
• Parts that require replacement due to airworthiness directives or service bulletins. 

AAI’s price breakdown, according to the company, provides customers “price-saving options of being able to choose between DER repairs, PMA, or OEM parts.”

Keeping Everything Straight

Aircraft maintenance software company EBIS assists MROs in keeping their ducks in a row.

“Historically, we see MROs using some combination of spreadsheets, Word documents, and historical invoices to build a quote,” said Chris Heine, senior manager of customer and partner experience at EBIS. “For years, it’s been the fastest and simplest way they knew how to build a high-level quote and get it to the customer ASAP. You’re going to send out a quote that isn’t very accurate for the sake of speed. That doesn’t always lead to a great customer experience down the road.”

There is a better way, Heine said.

“MRO software and automation can help centralize data, run complex calculations in real time and quickly generate pre-formatted quotes,” he said. “For example, one can leverage software to build quotes for recurring events [i.e. annual inspections] with all the labor hour estimates, parts markup calculations and customer-specific billing rates in about 30 seconds.”

Jets MRO in Dallas shares the EBIS work order dashboards with its customers during the quote building process and throughout the entire maintenance event. Its lead technicians serve as both sales engineers and project managers, which allows them to inform customers about project status, actuals versus estimates, and any changes to the original quote.

The same automation that underpins streamlined quoting is also what solves most MRO challenges around generating invoices and collecting payments. 

The post Quoting MRO Work appeared first on FLYING Magazine.