Investigating Material Failure Forensics Engineering

Summary

Elvis Tepush, a forensic engineer at RJ Watering Company, investigates material and mechanical failures to determine their causes. He explains a case study involving the crash of a helicopter due to a tail rotor failure, which resulted from improper maintenance and lubrication. His team's investigation helped the insurance company recover losses. Tepush emphasizes the value of forensic engineering in providing answers, reducing uncertainty, and improving safety. By identifying the reasons behind failures, they aim to prevent future accidents, reduce injuries, and lower costs through improved processes and regulations.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ The speaker, Elvis Tepush, is a forensic engineer at RJ Watering Company with a background in mechanical engineering and a PhD from UBC.
• 🔍 The focus of forensic engineering is determining the cause of failure in materials, machines, designs, or processes.
• 📉 The range of failures investigated is wide, from small plumbing components to entire airplane and helicopter fuselages.
• 🚁 A case study of a Bell 206B helicopter crash is used to explain the forensic investigation process, where a tail rotor failure caused the crash.
• 🔥 The investigation revealed that misplacement of a cork led to poor lubrication in the tail rotor drive quill, causing overheating and eventual failure.
• ⚙️ The maintenance firm responsible for the tail rotor was found to have improperly maintained the component, leading to the accident.
• ⚖️ The insurance company pursued litigation to recover costs through subrogation, and the court ruled in favor of the client, awarding full compensation.
• 🕵️‍♂️ The forensic investigation was able to prove the maintenance firm's fault, even though they argued the cork placement was correct.
• 🧠 Forensic engineering often deals with uncertainty, but the goal is to provide clarity and factual accuracy in complex cases.
• 🔧 The ultimate value of forensic engineering is in preventing future failures, injuries, or deaths by improving manufacturing, inspection, and safety policies.

Q & A

What is the profession of Elvis Tepush, and where does he work?

Elvis Tepush is a forensic engineer working at RJ Watering Company.

What educational background does Elvis Tepush have?

Elvis Tepush has a background in mechanical engineering from the University of Manitoba and a PhD from the University of British Columbia (UBC).

What is the primary focus of forensic engineering according to Elvis Tepush?

Forensic engineering focuses on determining the cause of a failure in a material, machine, design, or process, whether it’s a small component or a large structure, such as an airplane fuselage.

Can you provide an example of the range of failures that forensic engineering investigates?

Forensic engineering investigates failures ranging from small plumbing components causing $300,000 in water damage to airplane or helicopter fuselage failures that involve loss of life and property.

What happened in the case study involving the Bell 206B helicopter crash?

The helicopter experienced a loss of tail rotor authority, which caused the pilot to perform an emergency auto-rotation landing. While the pilot survived, the helicopter was destroyed.

What was the cause of the helicopter crash as determined by the investigation?

The cause of the helicopter crash was the failure of the tail rotor drive quill, which stopped functioning properly due to sub-optimal lubrication, leading to overheating and material breakdown.

Why did the investigation focus on the maintenance of the tail rotor drive quill?

The investigation focused on the maintenance because the quill had been recently serviced, and the incorrect placement of the cork during maintenance was suspected to have led to insufficient lubrication.

What defense did the maintenance firm present in the helicopter case?

The maintenance firm argued that the helicopter flew for a significant time before the accident, which they claimed proved that the cork placement was correct and that the crash moved the cork.

What was the outcome of the legal case for the helicopter crash?

The client of Elvis Tepush was awarded full compensation, including helicopter replacement costs, loss of business income, expert fees, and interest, as the judge ruled that the investigation should have ended much earlier.

What is the broader value of forensic engineering according to Elvis Tepush?

Forensic engineering provides answers to those affected by failures and helps prevent future incidents by influencing changes in policies, manufacturing processes, inspection criteria, and material requirements, leading to fewer losses, injuries, deaths, and lower insurance costs.