By Maj. Allen L. Gilbert
H-46 Programs Officer

Brian J. Van Apeldoorn, an airframes mechanic assigned to the CH-46E Production Line, has been awarded the Naval Air Depot Safety Professional of the Month award for August.

Van Apeldoorn was nominated for his attention to detail and appropriate reaction during the routine inspection of an H-46 aft transmission.

In June, while preparing for the installation of the aft transmission on a production aircraft, Van Apeldoorn checked an oil sample from the transmission. Even though this check is not required by specification, H-46 production line employees conduct the check to ensure that the transmissions being installed do not contain unserviceable oil. During this sample check, Van Apeldoorn noticed paint-like chips in the oil. Van Apeldoorn promptly brought this discrepancy to the attention of his work leader, who then told their supervisor. Maintenance was stopped on the aircraft until further investigation into the problem could be conducted.

A subsequent engineering borescope inspection determined that the transmission had begun to chip and corrode on the inside. Installation and use of this transmission could have resulted in serious damage to the helicopter and further increase to the workload on the production line.

Because Van Apeldoorn followed standard operating procedure, he helped prevent a heavy maintenance burden on the production line and stopped a potentially unsafe situation from occurring. Van Apeldoorn was looking out for this depot and the personnel who perform the maintenance on this aircraft when he brought the contaminated oil to the attention of his chain of command. Van Apeldoorn’s actions are commendable and are in keeping with Naval Air Depot Cherry Point’s business policy, “Relentless focus on quality, Unsurpassed service to the fleet.”

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Cutline: Brian Van Apeldoorn was named the August Aviation Safety Professional for his alertness and correct action during a recent transmission inspection. (Photo by Mike Barton)