Test cell operators keep up engine supply

Photo By Sgt. Fredrick J. Coleman | Lance Cpl. Michael Berryhill and Lance Cpl. Rick Contreras, engine mechanics with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 power plants section, lower an engine to a repair umbrella, Nov. 19. Prior to the mechanics moving the engine to the umbrella, the engine under went a series of tests in the testing cell less than an hour before.  

11.30.2007

Story by Cpl. Fredrick J. Coleman 

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

By Lance Cpl. Fredrick Coleman
Marine Corps Air Station Miramar

MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. – Marines spend countless hours in a small, dimly lit testing cell looking at the many moving parts and listening to the deafening roar of F/A-18 Hornet engines running at full power for any problems that could occur when the engine is attached to the aircraft.

The engine mechanics and test cell operators of Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 power plants section take on the tremendous responsibility of repairing and supplying Navy and Marine Corps units with Hornet engines.

"Our workers at the shop have done a great job producing engines for the aviation squadrons around the globe," said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Dennis Johnson, the officer in charge of the power plants section. "There is a high demand for engines and the shop has continuously stepped up to the challenge of producing safe engines in a timely manner."

The engine typically takes approximately one and a half days to completely break down and rebuild, explained engine shop supervisor Sgt. David Tingstrom.

"In 36 hours, we are able to pinpoint the problem, fix it and have the engine put back together, ready to send to the squadron who needs it," said Tingstrom.

Prior to sending an engine to the testing cell, mechanics will conduct detailed inspections of the surface and inside of the engine with a fiber-optic cable.

The cable allows the inspectors to get a detailed look at what could be wrong with the engine, according to Sgt. Joseph Anciaux, a production control clerk with the shop.

One of the most common problems found during an engine inspection is foreign object damage, or FOD, said Tingstrom.

Engines might suck tiny rocks or any other kind of debris causing the fan to bend or chip. Before an engine receives the final okay, it is run through the testing cell for approximately three hours ensuring the problem is resolved.

In the test cell, an engine runs at full power for more than 45 minutes and idles for two hours to ensure the problem doesn't occur again.

If the problem still persists, the operators troubleshoot the engine to look for alternate solutions on how to fix it.

According to Lance Cpl. Abraham Cortez, a test cell operator for MALS 11, this is also why it could potentially take up to four days for an engine to clear the test cell.

"One of the biggest reasons an engine wouldn't make it out of a test cell as fast is a fuel leak," said Cortez. "When there is a fuel leak, we send it back to the shop to have the fuel line inspected and repaired. After that, the engine goes through the testing process again."

Johnson credits the small unit leadership as well as the cohesiveness of the shop's 70 workers to their mission accomplishment.

• Date Taken: 11.30.2007
• Date Posted: 11.30.2007 13:51
• Story ID: 14313