3 August 2020: As part of a routine C-Check for the aircraft, conducted at BEDEK MRO facility (part of IAI Aviation Group), An AD mandated inspection was performed to detect cracks in the Pickle Fork Frame Fittings, which extend from the Main Deck to the aircraft Landing Gear Bay. During the inspection, a crack was discovered on the lower section of the left Pickle Fork at station 663.75.
Yossi Melamed, IAI EVP and General Manager of the Aviation Group said, “Israel Aerospace Industries serves as Israel’s foremost Aviation and Aerospace center of knowledge, expertise and excellence, and has lead the industry with vast experience in these fields for almost 70 years, especially in the fields of aviation structures, aircraft conversion, modifications, overall maintenance (MRO) operations and more. The successful replacement of the frame fitting is one of the crucial and important MRO capabilities IAI is capable of, enabling the company to meet the highest standards for customers.”
Due to this finding, the IAI team was required to remove and replace the Pickle Fork fittings on both sides of the aircraft for the first time, at IAI, on a Boeing 737 NG. The replacement procedure is complex and requires extensive engineering work (no formal instructions have been published by Boeing) and involves the joint effort of a very highly skilled Sheet Metal team, and B1 & B2 engineers. The work was successfully accomplished in full coordination with the Boeing Company.
