Aspects of Aircraft Certification Concerning Fungus Testing and Analysis

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) defined the aircraft certification requirements concerning the fungus testing for aircraft components. The fungus testing, focused currently mostly on the materials composing the component, has a relatively long duration, could lead to false failures, and disregards the operation conditions in the aircraft. The present study introduces aerospace engineering and certification personnel to information used to develop a successful fungus analysis to use for aircraft certification and recommends academia future fungus studies specific to the aerospace industry. The article includes a literature review of fungus research in the context of aircraft, with a focus on bay and engine components certification, and presents empirical data about the survivability of fungi on aircraft engine components.