Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Other / Unknown
Aircraft Equipment Problem Less Severe
General Flight Cancelled / Delayed; General Maintenance Action
Procedure; Human Factors; Aircraft
During preflight; First Officer found a crack in the inboard pylon of the Number 3 engine. The crack had migrated across a previous weld. The crack was reported to Maintenance; and written up in the logbook. Maintenance consulted with Maintenance Control and determined that the crack could be stop-drilled; an EA was required; requested and received. A two hour delay was incurred. Original crack was welded. Crack started at a rivet hole and migrated across the weld. Several things bother me. Why was this not discovered by Maintenance? Why did the out-going crew miss the crack unless it started on our flight which is doubtful. I think we need an individual from flight operations with a significant maintenance background and use them to QA maintenance on our aircraft. I have flown with this First Officer before and he keeps finding things that are being missed. Maintenance apparently needs more people...staffing adequate.
MD11 Captain reports a crack in the inboard pylon of the Number 3 engine being discovered by the First Officer during preflight. A previous crack had been repaired by welding; but the crack had propagated through the weld. A stop drill is authorized and accomplished. The Captain questions scrutiny of the aircraft by Maintenance and other flight crews.