Operators of Sikorsky S-92 helicopters can reduce operating costs and boost availability with longer scheduled inspection intervals introduced by the OEM.
The new intervals extend the intervals for scheduled inspections to 500 hours from 375 hours and 1,000 hours from 750 hours. According to Sikorsky, this will eliminate up to 30 inspections over the 30,000-hour S-92 lifespan, reducing maintenance downtime over that period by a year.
Sikorsky and the S-92 Maintenance Steering Review Group analyzed 20 years' worth of data collected from more than 300 S-92s that logged more than 2.4 million flight hours. This allowed the company to develop “a methodology to safely and confidently allow continued fleet operation beyond the current limits,” according to Sikorsky.
Before the inspection interval change, S-92 operators were provided a one-time life extension on certain main gearbox housings and a rotor hub component life extension to 15,000 hours from 9,000 hours.
“Increasing inspection intervals for the S-92 is a major victory for operators striving to mitigate downtime and maximize fleet availability, and a testament of the commitment to safety and innovation that Sikorsky champions,” said Leon Silva, v-p of Sikorsky's global commercial and military systems. “This is yet another example of Sikorsky’s continued investment in the S-92 platform, and we are thrilled to see it help customers perform against some of the biggest challenges in the world.”