Introduction

Concerns about wiring systems in aeroplanes were brought to the forefront of public attention by a mid-air explosion in 1996 involving a 747 airplane. Ignition of flammable vapours in the fuel tank was the probable cause of that fatal accident, and the most likely source was a wiring failure that allowed a spark to enter the fuel tank. Two years later, an MD-11 aeroplane crashed into the Atlantic Ocean, although an exact cause could not be determined, the findings did seem to indicate that wire arcing had occurred in the area where the fire most likely originated, Investigations of those accidents and later examinations of other aeroplanes showed a collection of common problems.

The findings for all the incidents investigated suggested that current design and maintenance standards where not sufficient to support the failure criticality of the affected systems. As a consequence both FAA and EASA have created a regulatory package identified EAPAS, the Enhanced Airworthiness Program for Aging Systems.

As such, this training provides guidance for personnel directly involved in the maintenance management, maintenance and inspection of EWIS and/or Fuel Tank Safety.

Two topics identified in the EAPAS package are presented in this training:

• EWIS (Electric Wiring Interconnecting System), and
• Fuel Tank Safety.

Course Content

The course topics are selected to satisfy Part 145 and Part M needs such as:

·         a short background showing examples of EWIS accidents and incidents,

·         the development and contents of the EWIS rule,

·         typical application and implications of the EWIS rule,

·         typical examples of defects considered,

·         some examples of TC holders maintenance data addressing the topic,

some examples of maintenance instructions for inspection.

Learning Objectives

After training, the person will be able to:

1.       give a simple description of the historical background and the elements requiring a safety consideration, using common words and showing examples of non-conformities,

2.       apply typical terms used in EWIS and

be familiar with the basic elements of the practical application of EWIS issues.

Who should take this course

This training is targeted at each person who is involved in or performs aeroplane maintenance or inspections on EWIS.

Pre-requisites

Basic knowledge of related Maintenance (Part 145) and/or Maintenance Management (Part M) regulations.

Participants are kindly requested to bring a laptop to the course to access course material which will only be provided in electronic format.

Duration

1 day (starting at 09:00 and finishing at around 17:00)