The Detection, Inspection, and Failure Analysis of Composite Wing Skin Defects On Tactical Aircraft

A routine ultrasonic inspection of the lower wing composite skin revealed a defect between the titanium root splice and composite surface. The wing skin passes high-tension loads through the fuselage and these defects were a significant concern to flight safety. Engineering personnel took the lead in coordinating the approach to identify, diagnose, and manage the defect by synchronizing efforts between non-destructive inspection, metallurgy, and composites experts. Because of these efforts, an effective inspection program was implemented. The defect was diagnosed as a disbond between the root splice and bond primer that evolved into a delamination between composite plies.