I found a cracked bleed air duct on a 737 during a walkaround in Phoenix

I found a cracked bleed air duct on a 737 during a walkaround in Phoenix. The line had a hairline crack near a clamp, which could've led to a pressure loss. I tagged it and wrote it up, but the lead wanted to defer it for a day. Anyone else had to push back on a deferral for something you thought was immediate?

3 comments

3 Comments

hernandez.morgan25d ago

Read an NTSB report that highlighted a similar crack once, @the_blair.

graceprice1mo ago

Man, that's a tough spot. A cracked bleed air duct isn't something to mess with, pressure loss can lead to bigger system failures. I've had to stand my ground on similar stuff, like a compromised fuel line seal. You can't just hope it holds, you have to follow the book. Good on you for writing it up.

the_blair1mo ago

Ugh, exactly. I had one where the crack was hidden under a clamp. You could only see it when you loosened the clamp and moved the duct, which the book didn't even call for. But you get that feeling, right? So you dig deeper. Found it, wrote it up, and got the whole duct replaced. The book is your best friend in those spots.

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