Photo By Sgt. Ryan Carpenter | William Shank, a collateral duty inspector with Marine Aviation Logistics Squadon 11...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO, Calif. -- The two car-wide warehouse rumbled as a jet engine roared to life. The engine’s after-burners kicked on and flames shot from the exhaust down a massive tunnel as a collateral duty inspector carefully checked for problems.
When an engine breaks down in a car, most people just call a tow truck and get it fixed. When an aircraft engine stops working, it is potentially a life-threatening situation.
Service members and civilian employees at Marine Aviation Logistics Squadron 11 Power Plant Division Test Cell work diligently to ensure that F/A-18 engines don’t fail.
MALS-11 Test Cell inspects engines from Miramar based-units deployed around the world.
“We have one of the most important jobs,” said Sgt. George Gallegos, the assistant work center supervisor at MALS-11 Test Cell. “We have the final look before [the engine] goes out to our customer, the squadron.”
Gallegos and his fellow test cell workers inspect five to 10 engines per week.
The first step in testing an engine is connecting it to the Jet Engine Test Instrument. The JETI is a diagnostic machine that displays information on how the engine operates in various conditions. It’s like a doctor monitoring a patient’s vital signs.
During an inspection, there are three workers responsible for making sure the engine is operating within safe parameters: the scribe, the operator and the collateral duty inspector.
The scribe carefully reads and records a wide range of data information from temperature to vibrations in the engine. He is just one set of eyes making sure the engine is running safely within its limits.
Sitting next to the scribe is the operator. The operator is the pilot of the engine test. He controls the thrust of the engine and is also responsible for running all of the simulated situations the engine will face while in an aircraft.
The simulations range from making sure that ice doesn’t build up on the engine to ensuring it throttles down properly for short landings on aircraft carriers.
“The operator is responsible for everything that goes on with the engine. He makes sure all the checks are within limits, the engine is set up correctly and if parts get changed out, their changed out correctly,” said William Shank, a collateral duty inspector with MALS-11 Test Cell.
The collateral duty inspector physically inspects the engine throughout the process from idle power mode all the way up to standing within feet of the flame during after-burn.
“It’s exhilarating: it’s kind of like a rollercoaster ride. It’s windy and you can really feel the vibrations,” explained Swank.
An employee at MALS-11 Test Cell must work as a scribe for six months and an operator for six months before he is eligible to be a collateral duty inspector.
The hopeful collateral duty inspector starts by submitting his request, he then interviews with a MALS-11 quality assurance representative, quality assurance officer and aircraft maintenance officer.
Next, he must get final approval from his officer in charge and take a test that requires a 95 percent to pass.
The collateral duty inspector oversees everything. He has the most experience and knowledge and has final approval on the engine.
I look for reasons to fail every single engine, then I’ll be sure not to miss anything,” said Swank. “That way I’m putting out a quality product to the pilots and the squadron.”
After the tests are complete and the collateral duty inspector gives the final okay on the engine the employees at MALS-11 Test Cell prepare it to go back to an aircraft ready to safely power it once again.
| Date Taken: | 12.16.2010 |
| Date Posted: | 12.16.2010 13:43 |
| Story ID: | 62108 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 335 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
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