Aircraft wire failure and incident investigation, Part II

November 23, 2011 Michael Traskos

A couple of weeks back, we wrote the Wire Failure and Incident Investigation article that reviewed some of the characteristics of wire failure and the means to detect them in a post aviation incident investigation. That article focused mostly on the conductor failure mechanisms. The three failure mechanisms that will be covered in this article […] Read more

Aircraft wire degradation and new research on red plague

November 20, 2011 Michael Traskos

We have addressed the red plague concept behind the aircraft wire degradation process in the For wire systems, there is no perfect conductor, not even a silver plated one article. However, since this issue has been spurring a new level of interest every five years, we are updating you on the new developments. To briefly […] Read more

A response to the TWA800 accident involving wire damage: SFAR-88

November 1, 2011 Michael Traskos

The SFAR88 requirements and related regulations (66 Fed. Reg. (May 7, 2001)) was the immediate FAA response to the TWA800 accident investigation involving wire damage. The investigation, conducted by the NTSB, indicated that the probable cause was a wire failure that resulted in additional energy being transferred to the fuel quantity indicating system (FQIS). This […] Read more

Understanding wire failure risk levels for aircraft EWIS

October 19, 2011 Michael Traskos

To determine the risk level for each EWIS component, one needs to look at the combination of failure probability and failure severity. This article will review the different levels for of failure probability and failure severity. Read more

Aircraft wire failure and incident investigation, Part I

October 13, 2011 Michael Traskos

The hazard of aircraft wire failure and electrical arcing will exist for as long as there is a need to deliver electrical power through wires. While electrical arcing is a common occurrence, the factors that impact an arcing event are often not well understood. This article reviews each step involved in electrical arcing, from what […] Read more

Aircraft EWIS failure and the process of electrical arcing

October 7, 2011 Michael Traskos

The hazard of aircraft EWIS failure and electrical arcing will exist for as long as there is a need to deliver electrical power through wires. While electrical arcing is a common occurrence, the factors that impact an arcing event are often not well understood. This article reviews each step involved in electrical arcing, from what […] Read more

When should you consider adopting an aircraft wire insulation assessment program? Part VI

September 22, 2011 Michael Traskos

SubTopic: Determining the Severity of Failure for wire life extension. A wire insulation assessment is a significant step forward in understanding the condition of the wire system and the topic of aircraft wire life extension for aerospace. However, to achieve a full system risk assessment, the assessment of probability of failure must be combined with […] Read more

Commonalities between EWIS and structured risk assessments for life extension programs

August 31, 2011 Michael Traskos

One of the criticisms of the EWIS risk assessment field is that it is an inexact science. Another is that no real value is achieved from performing an EWIS risk assessment. This article reviews these criticisms and shows how the EWIS risk assessment process follows accepted industry standards for aircraft assessment. The value of these […] Read more

What to look for with composite aircraft wire aging

August 13, 2011 Michael Traskos

This article continues the theme of identifying different kinds of wire aging, by describing the signs indicating when a composite wire is starting to age. Read more

What to look for with polyimide wire aging

August 11, 2011 Michael Traskos

Key to continued aircraft airworthiness is regular visual inspection of the wiring. However, depending on the particular wire insulation installed on the aircraft, the signs of degradation can vary significantly. This article will review what to look for when inspecting polyimide-based wires. The first thing is understanding the wire construction. A standard polyimide wire follows […] Read more

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