NDI team discovers deadly cracks, defects on aircraft components, ensures safety

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Matt McGovern
  • 60th AMW Public Affairs
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  Oblivious to the minds of pilots and crew, cracks and defects can sometimes lurk in aircraft components. 

Fortunately, Travis has the Non-Destructive Inspection team to notice any defects and correct them to allow continuation of the Air Force mission. 

NDI, a component of the 60th Equipment Maintenance Squadron, has the mission of detecting and identifying these deficiencies. 

“Our mission is to ensure the flight safety of pilots, troops and material,” said Tech. Sgt. Barbara Becraft, 60th EMS NDI specialist. 

NDI specialists use X-ray, magnetic particle, fluorescent dye penetrant, eddy current and ultrasonic inspection methods. 

Similar to the X-ray technicians at hospitals, specialists use industrial part machines to inspect and locate internal defects in aircraft components. 

“There are quite a few inspections we do where we don’t find anything; however, when we do find a defect, it validates the job we do,” said Senior Airmen Vanessa Bredehoft, 60th EMS NDI specialist. 

NDI specialists also use florescent penetrants to detect cracks in aircraft parts. Once the part is dipped in the penetrant it seeps into any crack in the metal. Then it is rinsed off and viewed with florescent lighting. 

The team also analyzes engine oil samples to determine if an engine has any abnormal wear patterns. 

If high levels of wear metal are detected within oil collected from aircraft, NDI notifies the proper workcenters and recommends the aircraft’s engine to be drained and flushed. 

“By [analyzing oil samples], we are a preventative measure - we can catch a problem while the aircraft is in use and keep it in the mission before it is damaged,” said Sergeant Becraft. 

Not only do the NDI specialists keep Travis aircraft in the mission, they also prevent catastrophic failure. This fact seems to be a rewarding aspect of the job, according to Sergeant Becraft. 

“The rewarding part of our job is keeping the C-5 and KC-10 aircraft here airworthy and safe for the aircrews and the troops that ride them,” said Sergeant Becraft. 

According to Tech. Sgt. Patrick Arnold, NDI Lab NCOIC, their critical mission could not be completed without their Airmen, whose combined effort earned them an outstanding on their last Operational Readiness Inspection. 

“I honestly believe that we have some of the best Airmen and civilians in the Air Force working here in the lab,” said Sergeant Arnold.