Had to disagree with the lead inspector on a gulfstream g280 harness install

I was down at the Duncan Aviation facility in Lincoln last week and the lead guy was pushing for all wire ties every 4 inches even where nothing moves. I get the spec sheet but on a quiet run like the cabin lighting there's zero vibration risk so you're just making future work harder for no reason. Anybody else ever argue with a veteran tech over stuff like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_betty1mo ago

Last year at a Textron facility in Wichita I watched a similar fight over zip tie spacing on a Hawker 800XP. The thing nobody brings up is how the 4 inch rule actually creates a bigger problem for chafing because every extra tie is a new hard point for the wire to rub against on the airframe. I've pulled apart bundles where the ties were so tight and close together they actually cut into the insulation over time. The spec is written for worst case vibration zones not every foot of flat cabin floor. Those guys get locked into a "this is how we've always done it" mentality and forget that flexibility in a static run is actually safer.

averywright1mo ago

Wait, you're telling me those zip ties were cutting INTO the insulation? That's wild. I've seen some messed up harnesses in my time but that's a new level of bad. You'd think after the first few bundles they'd notice the shiny copper poking through and rethink the whole approach. Guess not though. Some shops just double down on the spec even when it's clearly making things worse. That's the kind of stuff that keeps me up at night honestly.