Photo illustration: VAI/Mark Bennett VAI Webinar, May 29: Dangerous Maintenance Pitfalls Procedural deviations, inconsistent maintenance, inadequate inspections can have dire consequences. By Jen Boyer An Airbus Helicopters AS350 B2 operated by an air tour operator experienced loss of fuel at low level on a flight and crashed in the Nevada desert in 2011. The cause was determined to be failure to secure a B-nut and attach its safety wire, which was missed because of a maintenance deviation. A Sikorsky S-61N accident on Kauai, Hawaii, in 2022 that killed all four onboard was attributed to a missing nut and cotter pin. Exactly nine months later, an R44 crashed in Charlotte, North Carolina, because of improperly installed spacers. The spacers were supposed to be inspected before every flight and every 100 hours, yet they hadn’t been identified in the three years since their installation. These and several more accidents were all the result of improper maintenance and inspections, and each could have been avoided by cautious, focused, double-checked adherence to procedures and awareness of common pitfalls. Join VAI May 29 at 1 pm eastern (UTC-4) for an informative VAI Webinar at which FAA FAASTeam Program Manager James Dangerfield will show how improper maintenance and inspections have contributed to several accidents across the United States. Dangerfield will walk attendees through the accidents, highlighting the exact points where the chain of events began, as well as missed steps, incorrect work, inadequate inspections, and other mistakes that can occur during maintenance—with dangerous consequences. Our presenter: • James Dangerfield, FAASTeam Program Manager, FAA. In this webinar, you’ll learn: • The dangers of deviating from published procedures • What pilots can do to avoid these issues • The key to careful inspections • The pressures that lead to incorrect maintenance • And more. Register today for this free, one-hour webinar, Thursday, May 29, at 1 pm eastern (UTC-4), to learn how incorrect maintenance and inspections can turn deadly. Editor’s note: Attendees at this webinar qualify for FAA WINGS, IA and AMT credit. Jen Boyer is a journalist and marketing communicator specializing in aviation. She holds commercial, instrument, flight instructor, and instrument instructor ratings in helicopters and a private rating in airplanes.
