What kind of NDT techniques are used to ensure the safety of the airplane?
Over 80 percent of the inspections done to an aircraft are visual inspections. At regular intervals inspectors look at various component of the aircraft for signs of damage. During heavy maintenance work, much of the interior of the aircraft is stripped out so inspectors can look for damage on the inside surface of the fuselage. However, not all areas of the aircraft can be accessed for visual inspection and not all damage can be detected by visual means. This is were NDT plays a critical role in thoroughly inspecting airplanes. NDT methods allow inspectors to inspect areas of the plane that would otherwise be uninspectable without disassembling structure to gain access to the internal areas. NDT methods also allow inspectors to detect damage that is too small to be detected by visual means. Eddy current and ultrasonic inspection methods are used extensively to locate tiny cracks that would otherwise be undetectable. These techniques are also used to measure the thickness of the aircra
