Estimating Flaw Size Distributions From Service Inspection Results (Preprint)
Abstract
A key component of risk analyses of aging aircraft is the distribution of flaw sizes that are present in the aircraft. This distribution can be derived from teardown inspections of retired aircraft; however it is more cost effective to use the results of service inspections. Using the sizes of found cracks can be misleading however because nondestructive inspections are not perfect so some cracks are missed. Furthermore, the likelihood that an individual crack is detected is a function of the size of the crack when inspected and the crack size distribution is related to the number of flight hours the aircraft has experienced. An approach for estimating flaw size distributions from inspection results is derived and illustrated from data and simulation results. Problems with estimating both the POD function and the crack size distribution are discussed and a method for setting the reset crack size after an inspection based on the sizes of detected cracks is suggested.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Dec 01, 2006
- Accession Number
- ADA476910
Entities
People
- Jeremy Knopp
- Peter W. Hovey
Organizations
- University of Dayton