Certification

Guidelines for aircraft wiring: Which tests?

January 13, 2012 Michael Traskos

Aircraft wiring details are rarely found in common wire specifications. In fact, there is not a consistent set of specification tests for aerospace wiring. One wire type requires testing of the wicking properties, whereas the other does not. As an engineer, this can be unnerving at times, because it prevents a simple comparison between the […] 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

Here are some tips on conductor solderability with wire systems

August 9, 2011 Michael Traskos

An important property of a wire conductor is solderability (the ease of soldering the conductor) with wire systems. This property is greatly affected by the type of platting a wire has. Some conductor platting types such as Tin provide for an easy wetting of the conductor and soldering. Other platting types such as Nickel-platted conductors […] Read more

EZAP, the FAA, and the electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS)

May 17, 2011 Michael Traskos

The Enhanced Zonal Awareness procedure (EZAP) was introduced to the aviation industry that applies to Electrical Wire Interconnection System in 2005 was part of the FAA’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) that covered new requirements for the assessments of new and existing aircraft (the final rule was enacted in 2007). This required existing fleet operators […] Read more

Importance of aircraft electrical wiring interconnection system (EWIS) analysis

March 1, 2005 Lectromec Team

A United Airlines B767-300 on a Jan. 9, 1998 flight, from Zurich to Washington DC, was forced to execute an emergency landing at London’s Heathrow airport because of a food chiller unit improperly installed in the electronic and equipment bay. A jagged edge on the chiller scraped wire insulation as the chiller was pushed into position […] Read more

10 commandments of aircraft wire maintenance

August 1, 2004 Lectromec Team

When it comes to aircraft wire maintenance, consider the basic rule in medicine: “First, do no harm.” But where to find the best guidance to avoid inadvertent maintenance malpractice? Fortunately, for those in need of a quick reference, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has produced a single, well-illustrated document known as the Aircraft Wiring Practices […] Read more

Effects of SFAR-88 on aircraft wire maintenance

June 1, 2004 Lectromec Team

SFAR-88 The acronym stands for Special Federal Aviation Regulation 88. It deals with fuel system safety, to include aircraft wire maintenance, aircraft wire and electrical components (pumps, fuel quantity indicators, etc.), not only inside the tanks, but circuitry and items located outside the tanks including adjacent dry bays. By December 2004, operators must include Federal […] Read more