9.6 Visual Inspection

Question 1

What is one of the key maintenance procedures?

Answer 1

A visual inspection

Question 2

What 2 things can engineers use to enhance their vision?

Answer 2

• Magnifiers
• Borescopes

Question 3

What else do engineers use during visual inspections?

Answer 3

Additional senses like touching and hearing

Question 4

What are the steps engineers take to help them carry out a reliable visual inspection?

Answer 4

• Ensure that they understand the area, component, or system they need to inspect
• Locate the corresponding area, component, or system on the aircraft itself
• Make sure the environment is adequate for the visual inspection task
• Conduct a systematic visual search, moving their eyes carefully in a set pattern so that they inspect every part
• Thoroughly examine any potential degradation or defect they see and decide whether it constitutes a problem
• Record any problem identified and continue the search a few steps prior to where they discovered the problem

Question 5

What can long spells of continuous inspection do and why?

Answer 5

Can make it easier for engineers to glaze over issues, this is because visual infections require a lot of concentration

Question 6

What can engineers benefit from during visual inspections?

Answer 6

Taking short breaks between visual inspection tasks

Question 7

What does NDI stand for?

Answer 7

Non-Destructive Inspection

Question 8

What does NDI involve?

Answer 8

An element of visual inspection but typically involves detecting invisible defects using specialist tools