Just left a regional airline hangar and I'm fuming about the wiring I saw

I visited a small MRO facility outside Orlando last week to help a buddy with an STC install on a CRJ. The stuff they had under the floor panels was a mess - zip ties everywhere, no service loops, and wires rubbing right against sharp edges. In my experience, that kind of work gets you a grounded plane and a big fine from the FAA. Has anyone else noticed corners getting cut like this at smaller shops?

2 comments

2 Comments

lindahunt28d ago

Is it really that serious though? I mean yeah zip ties and no service loops aren't pretty, but I've seen plenty of planes fly for years with wiring that looked like a rats nest. The FAA is more concerned with safety of flight stuff like chafing that'll actually cause a short, not whether your bundles look like a magazine spread. A sharp edge is a problem for sure, but not every little corner cut means the wing is coming off. I'd be more worried about the guys using the wrong gauge wire or skipping proper grounding than a few zip ties.

max_jones28d ago

Oh boy, here we go again. I actually read an NTSB report last year about a private jet that had a fire start because of a wire bundle that was too tight with zip ties. It chafed through over time and shorted against a fuel line bracket. The FAA might not care about looks, but those service loops exist for a reason. I get what you're saying @lindahunt about wrong gauge wire being a bigger deal, but bad routing can be just as dangerous in the long run. Sloppy work like that makes it way harder to trace wires when something does break later. It's not about magazine spreads, it's about maintenance guys being able to actually work on the plane without pulling out half the harness.