Conducting a Failure Analysis on a Fuel Hose

Cracking and subsequent leakage occurred within an aircraft fuel hose. The leakage occurred after eleven years of service in an aircraft auxiliary fuel system. The cracking was limited to an approximate three foot section of the thirty foot hose. The investigation focused on the determination of the nature and cause of the failure. The results obtained during the evaluation indicated that the cracking was due to substantial swelling and distortion of the rubber inside the wire reinforced hose assembly. This paper will focus on the testing used to characterize the failure mode and identify the cause of the cracking, thereby illustrating the failure analysis process.