As airplanes age there is an ever increasing likelihood that protective surfaces will break down or be damaged, which, with continual cycling of air temperature and humidity means a corresponding increase in the likelihood of corrosion. At the same time, the continual cycling of the structure means an ever increasing likelihood of structural fatigue damage. This gives rise to one of the most significant “Aging Airplane” safety concerns, which is the potential for corrosion combining with other forms of damage, such as fatigue.
The most effective and safest way to negate potential combinations of significant corrosion and fatigue damage, is to implement fleet-wide corrosion prevention and control programs, with defined minimum standards. This is preferable to reliance on inspection requirements, which are difficult to determine and would result in highly restrictive structural maintenance programs.
This paper summarizes recent industry actions to establish minimum standards for preventing or controlling corrosion that otherwise could jeopardize the continuing airworthiness of aging airplanes.
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