Description

Damage to composite structures may not be visible following an impact collision. All impacts must be reported immediately. A suitably qualified and licensed engineer needs to inspect the impact area and formally record the inspection and findings in the Aircraft Technical Log.

Failure to detect or report potential damage to an aircraft may result in an aircraft getting airborne in an unairworthy condition.

Techniques for non-destructive testing (NDT)

Due to the anisotropic nature of composites, whose characteristics depend on the direction along which they are considered, the identification of damage requires NDT techniques to be carried out by qualified personnel according to EN4179 standard (under EASA) or in accordance with MIL-STD-410 (under the FAA). These techniques are based on different methodologies.