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PSA: I keep seeing guys skip the final torque check on those new composite panel fasteners after a sealant cure.
The manual for the Gulfstream G650 nose cone job specifically says to re-torque after 24 hours, but I've watched three different crews at our Denver hangar just button it up and call it done.
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stone.thomas1mo ago
Yeah but what happens if you skip it? Like is it just a small leak risk or are we talking about something that could actually come apart in flight? Those panels have a lot of stress on them.
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matthew_wilson461mo ago
Those panels have a lot of stress on them" is absolutely right. A buddy of mine used to work line maintenance for a regional carrier. He told me about a 737 that came in with a missing fastener on a belly panel near the wing root. The paperwork said they'd "defer it" for a few days. Well, a mechanic just skipped it and never logged it right. That panel popped loose at 8,000 feet during climb out. Made a hell of a racket in the cabin, scared the passengers. They had to land and ground the plane. He said it could have ripped off completely and taken part of the skin with it.
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wesley_grant331mo ago
Didn't a cargo plane lose a panel over Oregon last year?
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