Post-fire Structural Integrity Evaluation of an Aircraft Utilizing ASTM E 1004-02.

During maintenance, a post-World War II military training airplane experienced a ground fire that resulted in damage to the lower fuselage forward of the wing spar carry-through structure. Although the fire was contained approximately 18 in. forward of the carry-through structure, existing airworthiness concerns and the critical nature of this area resulted in the need to evaluate the possibility of damage resulting from the fire. A correlation between the electrical conductivity and mechanical properties of the aluminum structure was established from components that were fire damaged and, consequently, removed during repair of the aircraft. This correlation was then used to non-destructively evaluate the integrity of the material in the carry-through structure and, ultimately, confirmed that the carry-through structure did not have to be replaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]