AN EXTENSIVE STRUCTURAL MAINTENANCE PROBLEM CAUSED BY CORROSION ON AN AIRCRAFT

Mustafa SAHIN, Murat EKICI and Huseyin DEMIRCI

The airworthiness of aircraft is valid only if all engines, structures and avionics systems are checked periodically and the faults are maintained according to international aviation maintenance rules such as FAA or EASA requirements. This study examines extensive corrosion damage seen in the aft cargo compartment of a Boeing 737-300, which was taken into My Technic Aircraft MRO Services' Hangar, ISG International Airport-Istanbul, Turkey for the C check and structural repair. Through structural maintenance, many structural parts, including sections of the skin of the aircraft, were exchanged and repaired because the corrosion was quite extensive. The aluminum alloy patches used for skin repair were prepared by means of the English Wheel Tool. As a result, the corrosion damage on the skin was fixed by using five-stage patches with dimensions of 2.7 meters in length and 1.6 meters in width.

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