On March 9, NPR reported Boeing was unable to find any paperwork about the door plug and attributed a top Boeing official saying, “It was likely that such records never existed.” Roughly one day later, the Wall Street Journal reported the Justice Department had opened a criminal investigation.

Aircraft wheels are put through aggressive and cyclic NDT inspection protocol and the wheel’s potential for failure has led manufacturers to require various repetitive inspections at regular intervals.

In production, every aircraft structure component will undergo inspection by one of the primary NDT methods. In-service aircraft will experience subsequent nondestructive testing, eddy current inspection being one the primary methods. This article serves to highlight the more common forms of eddy current applications on in-service aircraft.

Mike Terrell is the quality assurance manager at B&B Airparts Inc., a machine shop that specializes in manufacturing high precision parts for aerospace OEMs. B&B Airparts Inc. has been in business for over twenty years, offering machining, sheet metal fabrication, and assembly capabilities.